No Pokeballs Allowed
by Multikirby-Chaos7
Summary: An original Pokémon Mystery Dungeon plot that is NOT based off Explorers. You know the drill, a boy sucked into a Pokémon world, sent into a huge (get this) Pokémon Mystery full of suspense, humour, drama, betrayal, and romance (wait, what?). Actually part of a trilogy (One other book is in progress!). This is a Multikirby Production. Cover by DrawerElma on DeviantArt!
1. In the Beginning

**This is filler to keep the Chapter 1 thing in the CENTER of the PAGE.**

* * *

_**Chapter 1**_

_**In the Beginning**_

_Why do I feel so sad?_

These were the first thoughts of Coran, when he woke up alone in a grassy field. The second thought, although not quite related to the first thought, was more related to the situation at hand.

_Where am I?_

The third thought, following the pattern of having nothing to do with the other thoughts, and more following the pattern of someone who had just woken up, was the thought Coran decided would be a good idea to follow through on answering.

_Would it be okay to just sleep another five minutes?_

Yes, he decided. Yes it would be.

Unfortunately, the field did not share his opinion on the matter.

* * *

Squirtle the Eevee had to clear her head. What she was undertaking was not easy in the slightest, and pressure is never a good thing to force onto one's mind. She decided to take a walk. But where? she asked herself. The hiking trail near her house was too rigorous and exhausting, but the beach a bit farther down the path was too breathtaking. She did not need breathtaking. She needed emptiness. Blandness. A place with no distractions, where she could think. She decided on the fields on the west outskirts of town. She had not taken many walks there, and decided now would be a good time to start.

Upon arriving there, she found to her delight that it was both empty and bland. Perfect. She could think without distraction. She went on about the action of thinking and pondering, hemming and hawing, so caught up in her thoughts, that Squirtle (the Eevee) did not notice the small Pokemon she was tripping over, until she got a face full of dirt.

* * *

Studies have shown that having an inattentive person trip over you, most likely kicking you in the ribs, before falling over you, inflicting pain over you and themselves, is one of the absolute worst ways to wake up. (Studies have also shown that people are more likely to believe a statement if you put the statement "Studies have shown" in front of it, but I digress.) Needless to say, Coran was not happy about this method of waking up.

"Ow."

"Sorry," Squirtle said. "I wasn't paying attention."

Coran laid on the ground, attempting to lull himself back into a trance, convincing himself that he can fall back asleep if he, ironically, exerted himself hard enough. Sadly, this was not enough, for although undeniably unpleasant, having an inattentive person trip over you is also one of the most effective ways to wake up.

"It's fine," Coran replied, even though he felt that this Eevee interrupting his pattern of rest was anything but fine.

Squirtle was about to head on her way, and resume her thinking, when she abruptly turned around. "What are you doing out here, anyway? Why sleep here?"

Coran was about to answer, but found that he couldn't. He was unable to tell this Eevee why he was here, or why he was sleeping, for that matter. But he had to say something.

"I...um...heard that grass is comfier to sleep on than a mattress, and wanted to try it out. See if it was true."

"What's a mattress?" Squirtle asked.

"What, you don't have them around here?"

"Apparently, no."

"Well, mattresses are a large piece of fabric, usually stuffed with something soft and you sleep on it."

"Oh, okay."

There was an awkward silence among the two. Coran didn't speak because he had run out of things to say, and Squirtle didn't speak because Coran was still on the ground, and hadn't moved. She decided, since she had nothing better to talk about, to address this.

"Why haven't you moved an inch?" She asked.

Coran didn't respond. He was a little shocked. _How did I not notice that?_ He got up, and realized that he was only about a foot taller than this Eevee._  
_

"That's strange..."

"What is it?"

"Well, I imagined Eevees to be a lot smaller. Didn't expect them to be four and a half feet tall."

"I'm not. I'm almost a foot tall."

It was then that Coran noticed his body. Blue paws, a little white section about halfway up each arm; a snout; two long floppy black ears; a blue tail, and two black dog-like legs. He did not go into shock, however, but became even more confused.

"Was I always like this?" He asked himself.

"I'm pretty sure there's no basic form to a Riolu, so probably."

"That's strange," Coran said again.

Squirtle (the Eevee, in case you've forgotten) was a bit put off by this eccentric display before her. She didn't know how to respond. Although her guardians taught her about stranger danger, this Pokemon looked genuine, and she wanted to offer help.

"What's strange?"

Coran laughed lightly, failing to take the situation in as a whole. "I can remember something like mattresses, but I can't remember if I've always been a Pokemon."

Squirtle's eyes grew wide. She hadn't even started helping yet, and she felt she was in way over her head. "Sounds like you have amnesia. How much do you remember?"

Coran closed his eyes, and concentrated. "Mattresses, blenders, board games," He listed, going on.

Squirtle cut him off. "That's great and all, but that doesn't really tell me who you are," she said frankly, taking a mental note to ask what "blenders" and "bored games" were.

"Okay, okay. Um...I remember grass, like this, a house with...two floors. I think I lived there. Uh...two parents...wait, no. One. Where'd the father go? Um...Divorce? Oh...that's sad. Uh...two dogs, and-"

"Wait, did you say divorce? What's that?"

"I think it's when a couple is married, and they don't like each other anymore and split up."

"Sounds like a human practice."

"A human practice? You have humans here?"

"Well, we did."

"Oh." Coran didn't wish to press it any further for the moment. "Well, I guess that means I'm a human turned Pokemon...?"

"It seems that way. Well, glad I could help. G'bye!" Squirtle resumed her walking, glad that awkward encounter was over. Now she could keep on with her thinking.

Coran was left standing there, thinking for himself as well.

_I'm a human. A human turned into a Pokemon. I'm glad I got that puzzle solved, but what now? What do I do? Wait until Scotty beams me up back into the human world or something?_ Coran pondered and pondered. Then he realized that his only guide to this world and the only thing that knows he exists is walking away from him, lost in her own thoughts.

"Wait!"

Squirtle turned around, looking back over the field to that strange Riolu who she thought she was done with. Apparently not. "Yes?"

"W-what's...what's your name?" He asked, obviously out of breath.

"Squirtle." Squirtle replied.

"Uh...okay. Excuse me for saying this, but that's a weird name for an Eevee."

"I know it is. Now if you'll excuse _me..._"

"Wait! You are the only Pokemon who knows I exist, and I have no idea where to go, and no idea what to do, and I'm here, not home, and I...I...I'm lost!"

Squirtle was shocked by the outburst. She did not expect a Pokemon so calm and collected before to burst out like that. Nonetheless, a puzzle piece clicked into place that seemed to solve her problem. This Pokemon, however erratic, seemed perfect. Riolus were fighting types, and that meant they were strong. Squirtle liked to think she was strong, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

"What is your name?"

"Coran."

"Well, if you want, you could help me with something, and in return, I could give you a place to stay."

Coran jumped at the chance. "Yes! Thank you...I don't know what I would've done on my own...but what do you need help with?"

"A business venture."

* * *

_**Well, that's the prologue. Fun Fact: This story was originally going to have two segments, a human part and a PMD part. I scrapped the human part because that would make it way too long. Here we go!**_


	2. Testing, Testing

***knock knock knock-knock knock* Do you want some exposition?**

* * *

_**Chapter 2**_

_** Testing, Testing**_

"Okay, it's time to get to work, Coran." Squirtle (the Eevee) stretched herself out, having already eaten a breakfast with her eyes half closed. She was fully awake now, and ready to start on this business venture.

Coran, however, wasn't.

"...Coran? You awake?"

Coran wasn't.

"Look, I know it isn't one of those mattresses you were talking about, but that doesn't mean you need more sleep just because it's a little more uncomfortable. If you're going to stay here, you're gonna have to pull your own weight." Squirtle said, exasperated.

"...Uncomfortable? Are you kidding?" Coran mumbled. "I could lie here all day."

"But you won't, right?"

"_If I lay here...if I just lay here...will you lie with me and just forget the world?_" Coran sang.

"What? No! We have work to do! Up and at 'em!"

"It seems to me that you don't value sleep as much as I do." Coran said slowly. "Did you know that you are more likely to be productive if you have a full eight hours of sleep?"

"Yes, yes, that's great. But you need to get up _now_! Sand-Attack!" Squirtle yelled, shoving sand into Coran's face.

"_Ack_!" He exclaimed. "Ugh...aw, you got sand all over the bed!"

"Are you awake now?" Squirtle deadpanned.

Coran sighed, knowing if he said no, he'd get another face full of sand. "Yes. Yes I am."

"Good. Follow me, please."

Coran walked behind Squirtle through the small building. Yesterday, before he went to sleep, Squirtle had given Coran a tour of the building. It wasn't very big, so the tour wasn't long. There were three rooms. Squirtle's room and office, a guest room, which Coran slept in, and a main room with a bulletin board with many photos and traces of thread connecting them. Coran could remember seeing them before, but never figured out what they were for. As Coran walked into Squirtle's room, Squirtle opened the desk at the back of the room and pulled out a few contracts.

"Okay, I'm going to need you to sign these." She explained.

"These? The contracts? Okay, um..." Coran read them over. They were very confusing, using strange words he'd never seen before like quid pro quo, ad valorem, and espresso venti. "I, uh, don't understand all this legal lingo. What does it mean?"

"Oh, it just says that we're partners. It has some sort of time limit, but that's not important." She said, then to herself, "...Also it means I own you for five years, but that's not important either...*ahem* Now, if you'll sign here and...here." She said louder, pointing at the lines at the bottom of the contracts.

"Oh, okay." Coran replied, taking the pen and signing his name, before doing a double take. "Wait, what was that last part?"

"Partners?"

"No, after that."

"The time limit thing."

"After that, too."

"...Sign here and here?"

"...Forget it."

"Good, good." Squirtle finished, putting the contracts away for the time being. "Any questions so far?"

"Yes, I probably should've asked this _before_ I signed the contract, but what exactly am I helping with?"

"Well, to put it bluntly, even if mildly incorrectly, a rescue team."

"What makes it mildly incorrect?" Coran asked.

"Well, most rescue teams belong to some sort of group or firm," Squirtle explained. "This firm is what supplies it with things like maps, treasure bags, equipment and ranks. This, however, is an independent operation, meaning we don't get any of those luxuries, but we don't split anything we earn with anyone. Also we can make our own rules."

"What does that mean?"

"Well," Squirtle said, taking a deep breath. "An example would be the fact that most rescue teams as of late can only take one job on at a time. We can take on as many as we like, akin to the older days where you can complete 8 jobs at once, as long as they are associated to one place. Another thing we can do that others can't is take as much time as we want within a dungeon. Most rescue teams can only take a certain amount of turns in a dungeon before they are blown away for taking too long. They never admit to this, but it's actually the Rescue Team Association that's doing this."

"Alright, sounds good." Coran admitted, then realized something. "Wait, if we don't have a group giving us stuff, how do we get stuff? Like those treasure bags you mentioned?"

"Ah ah ah! I said they give these to rescue teams. That doesn't mean we can't buy these things from them. Completing jobs without a treasure bag was hard, but now I have a treasure bag and a Wonder Map for myself, plus three extras, just in case. Unfortunately, I can't buy things like Green Bows, which are objects that make you run faster, hit harder, and take more hits. I also obviously can't get an Official Rescue Team Badge. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, since we aren't a rescue team. But they allow you to instantly teleport out of a dungeon after completing a job, and the newest models allow you to make a super powerful team attack."

"..." Coran just stared at her. This was a lot for him to take in on his first day. Fortunately, Squirtle realized this.

"Sorry, I'm telling you a lot of things you don't need to know. What you do need to know is this, and I'll put it bluntly." She led Coran outside, and pointed at another bulletin board with paper and pens next to it. "Pokemon post their problems presently on this billboard. We take those jobs, be it 'Save my friend' or 'Get my money back' or 'Take me on an adventure' or even 'Humor me'. Like I said, we take them, and complete the jobs, and we get the rewards that they had specified in the request. Be careful, though, and don't take a job you aren't ready for. This sounds silly, but take it seriously. Some jobs are in places that are extremely harsh. I feel bad for Pokemon with troubles like these. Really, I do. Because nobody I know is strong enough to solve them. But chances are in completing jobs, you get stronger, and we can finally take on those poor Pokemon's troubles."

"Okay, so, take a job I can do, do it, get reward?"

"Yep. It'd be nice if you write down what the reward is in that book in my desk. It makes it easier to keep track of finances. Although the business will be taking all rewards, what you have earned will be taken into account, and you will be paid. Handsomely."

Coran simply nodded. "So when do I start?"

"Well, we need you to pass a few tests before you sign...the...contract." Squirtle slowed down, realizing her mistake. "You better hope to nothin' else you pass these tests." She spat, glaring at Coran.

Coran slunk down. "T-tests? What kind of tests?"

Squirtle tried to calm down. _This is my fault, not his._ Yet she still had a trace of malice in her voice as she said, "Tests to make sure you're fit for this kind of business. They'll make sure that you can be productive, and be productive without killing yourself."

"I-is any of it written tests? I hate those. Y'know, 'oh, yeah. A and B are both correct, but you have to choose the one that is _most _correct.'"

"Don't worry, none of it's written. Anyway, first, intelligence. I need to know your brain is at least working."

Coran nodded.

"If you have five cookies, and I take away two, what will you have?"

"Indignation!"

"Please answer these seriously, Coran."

"Okay, fine. I'll have three cookies."

Squirtle breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, so it works. Here's a bit of a harder one, to see if you're better than just easy math: Logic. If you have five cookies, and I take away two, what will I have?"

"Didn't you just ask that?" Coran said, confused.

Squirtle smirked. "Is that your final answer?"

Coran's eyes went wide as saucers. "No, no, no! Uh...can you repeat the question?"

Squirtle shook her head.

"Okay. That's cool. Whatever. I had it memorized, anyway." _Think, Coran, think! What was it again? Uh...Five cookies, she took away two, what will I have? It's three, isn't it? Wait...'what will I have...'_

"It's two. You'll have two cookies."

"Good. Next question. Imagine you're inside a box. There is no way in or out, the walls are made out of a breakable alloy, and the box is at the bottom of the deepest trench of the ocean. If you try to simply break the box and swim up, you'll drown. You have five minutes before you run out of breathable air. What do you do to escape?"

Coran smiled inwardly. He had heard this before. Then he frowned. Where _had_ he heard this before? He shook his head, and answered the question. "Stop imagining."

Squirtle smiled. "Good. I don't need to test you on strength, because all Fighting types are inherently powerful, so that leaves...uh oh."

"What? What's left?" Coran asked, his curiosity and anxiety both piqued.

"The Sanity test."

"What?! What kind of test is that?"

"A test to find out if you're sane or not. I had to add it after a past partner tried to maul my face off mid-mission. I'm okay with face maulings, just not to me."

"Well, what's so bad about this test? Why the uh oh?"

"Most sane Pokemon don't think they're human."

Coran gaped. "Come _on_! You helped me conclude that, for harmony's sake! Remember? Divorce is a _human practice!_"

"Sorry, but again, most sane Pokemon don't think they're some human in disguise. I mean, what if I told you that I was an alien from another planet that was transformed into an Eevee? Would you believe me?"

"...No."

"My point is made. Anyways, usually, I can tell whether someone is sane or not by simply talking to them. You, however, are a special case. All signs point to you being sound of mind. Except one. One big, glaring, neon, flashing sign. And it says..." Squirtle trailed off, looking at him expectantly.

"...I'm a human." Coran finished begrudgingly. "Look, I know. It's ridiculous. Preposterous. I'm not even sure if I believe it myself. But I...I..." Coran sunk to the floor. "I don't know. I can't justify if I'm sane or not. But even if I was a human then, I'm a Pokemon now, and my primary objective is to find someplace to stay. If I don't get this, I'm on my own, and I'm gonna take a wild guess and say I'm not going to do well on my own." He chuckled a bit, then said, "Can you take one look at me, and honestly say I look like someone who would...how did you put it? Maul your face off?"

Squirtle gave him a hard stare. Should she? She had to admit, he looked mentally stable. But so did that other one. She shivered. The way Coran talked, it had sense behind almost every word. She made a face. Except for 'mattress'. Standing up, she gave a long sigh, and a longer look, she hung her head.

"...Fine. You pass. Welcome to the team, Coran."

* * *

**Like, favorite and subscribe! Wait, wrong site, sorry. Read and Review, please! Wait, no, you've read it already. Review! Thanks, guise!**


	3. Graveyard Shift

**Na na na na na na CENTERFOLD!**

* * *

**_Chapter 3_**

_**Graveyard Shift**_

Town pride is a commonplace thing in any world. People and Pokémon alike seem to have a need to protect what they believe is theirs, even though it is really just a big plot of land with a variety of rectangles and triangles built on top of it. Why humans had done this and why Pokémon decided it was a good idea to follow, we will never know. Most people would usually think this does not make sense, developing an emotional or even romantic attachment to a large  
square-ish chunk of dirt and rocks, but many do it anyways. This is not a good idea, because like many things that people love, there are other people that exist only to take that beloved thing, knock it off its cone into the sand and drive over it with their fancy Diesel-chugging ATV. And all the hours those people had spent figuratively making out with the local bar will be put into perspective as all the things they loved become roadkill.

Nuzlocke was a beautiful town. It had many things. An item storage, a shop selling both TMs and HMs, a Bank for money, a daycare, and a place for little ones.

What it didn't have were friendly neighbors.

"Everyone here seems kind of cold," Coran noticed. By this, he did not mean that everyone in Nuzlocke was uncomfortable with the temperature, rather, he meant that everyone did not seem to like him.

"...Really? I've never noticed." Squirtle (the Eevee) said, looking around.

"Are you being sarcastic? The way it's written, I couldn't tell" Coran said, being completely irrational and please disregard what he just said. Please.

"No. I've really just kept to myself. My only contact with these Pokémon is through the Bulletin Board. They post problems, I solve them. End of story." Squirtle shrugged. "But now that you mention it, everyone does seem kind of quiet and reclusive."

"Yeah, it's like everyone here is an adolescent teenager who takes pride in being an introvert."

Squirtle stared at him, confused. "...what?"

"Forget it." Coran said. _What did I just say? Something about teenagers being introverts...and that being a good thing? What in the world am I talking about? Why can I remember these but not who I am?_

Only one of these questions are answered as of now.

Squirtle, curious now, tried to start a conversation with a passing Breloom. "Hi there!" She said, uncharacteristically cheerily.

Breloom looked at her for a minute, as if justifying whether she was talking to him or not. "Um...Hello."

"Nice day, isn't it?" Squirtle asked.

Breloom simply looked up at the sunny blue sky. "No."

Squirtle was slightly taken aback. "What? Why?"

"Breloom are part mushroom. Mushrooms like dank, dark places. It's too hot for me." Breloom said, before walking along his way.

Squirtle frowned, then looked at Coran, who shrugged. He jerked his head towards the shop, and Squirtle nodded. As they came up to the brightly colored building, Squirtle broke the 4-hit chain of non-verbal communication as she asked for someone to come to the front of the seemingly empty building. "Hello? Anybody here?"

A bored looking Shuppet came to the front of the booth. "Hello, and welcome to Banette's Bazaar, how can I help you today?" The words came out of her mouth so monotonous and easily it seemed she had been saying them for the past ten minutes before Coran and Squirtle came to the booth.

"Yes, I'd like to take a look at your wares, please." Squirtle replied.

Shuppet raised an eyebrow at Squirtle's eloquent vocabulary, and gestured behind her. "There's shelves upon shelves back there. Take a look at our..._extensive selection of merchandise and commodities._" Shuppet said, smirking a bit.

Squirtle, a bit put off, nodded her head curtly. "Thank you."

Coran, while Squirtle and Shuppet had been talking, was checking out the shelves. It wasn't a very big store, but there still was quite a selection. Many, many berries, a few TMs and HMs, rocks, sticks, thorns, seeds and some really expensive vitamins. Squirtle walked up to him. "What do you see?"

"Just gonna put this out there, but..." Coran began. "I have no idea what any of this stuff does."

"Y'know, I _would_ explain this to you, but I feel I've done enough explaining to last me a lifetime, so I'll just take some of these," She said, grabbing some of the blue berries and putting them in her bag. "...and we gotta have some of these." She finished, putting some reddish seed into her treasure bag. She took it back to the front of the shop.

Shuppet, without even looking at the bag, told them the total was 900 Poké. Squirtle paid the right amount, then left. "Coran," She said. "I believe it's time for you to take your first trouble."

Coran was nervous, but he agreed. They headed back to the Bulletin Board, and looked at the possible jobs.

"Here. This one looks good for a first time." Coran looked at where Squirtle was pointing. It read:

_Get my pendant back!_

Rank: E Dungeon: Sorrowing Meadows

My name is Yamask. I was travelling through the Sorrowing Meadows  
on my way to my friend's place. I came through without incident,  
but when I got back to Nuzlocke, I found that my pendant, which  
had been handed down through my family for a long time, was missing!  
I would go back to get it, but now I hear rumors of suspicious Pokémon  
roaming around. Please, get it back!

Reward: 1000 Poké

"Sorrowing Meadows? Is that somewhere between Blood-Death Gulch and Endless Pain Hill?" Coran complained.

"Oh, hush. The Sorrowing Meadows aren't that bad. And besides, it seems like he was only on the main path, so it'll be easy to find the pendant. Also, I'll be coming with you. This is your first job, and you didn't really pass the Sanity test, so I'm going to be keeping an eye on you."

Normally, this would hit Coran as an attack on his ego. But the thought of tackling such a sinister-sounding place such as the Sorrowing Meadows alone was even more of an attack, and not on his ego. He agreed.

* * *

"Here it is! The Sorrowing Meadows." Squirtle said happily.

Coran looked at her in confusion. "How can you be so happy, looking at a place like this?"

The Sorrowing Meadows looked quite sorrowing indeed. The thickly laid trees were dead skeletons, reaching out to scratch and scrape anyone who passed by, as if controlled by a deranged puppeteer. The grass was tinted a pale purple by the rising moon at their backs. Stone bricks lay strewn to the side of and across the worn dirt path. Even this path seemed threatened, as if the purple grass was extending its tendrils to choke it out. If he looked hard enough, Coran could see the outline of a steeple in the background. A holy building in an unholy place was not a good thing for a genre savvy Pokémon like him. Overall, this was _not _first stage material.

"And why did we have to come here at night? Why can't it wait till the morning?"

"Because, Coran," Squirtle answered, "That notice was posted today, and it detailed suspicious Pokémon about-"

"Wouldn't that mean going at night was a bad thing?!" Coran blurted.

"Let me finish!" Squirtle snapped. "Suspicious Pokémon are dangerous, yes, but they could also steal the pendant. It's best for us to get the pendant as soon as possible so it _isn't_ stolen. The client comes first."

Coran hesitated. "Okay, fine. Let's do it. But when I get home, I'm learning to make a mattress so I can make up for this harrowing ordeal."

* * *

Things did not get better when they entered the dungeon. Almost immediately the moon at their backs was blotted out by the skeleton-like trees. The path, though overgrown, was trodden on clear enough to see in the dim light. Unfortunately, this light meant it was easier for grass and other things to grow, which meant that many unpleasant plants were *ahem* taking root on the path. These included poison ivy, poison oak, venus fly traps and tree roots.

"Well, farther up and further in!" Squirtle exclaimed.

Coran simply sighed and followed her. Before he tripped on a tree root.

"Ow." Coran was not in the best of moods, and this did not help. Therefore, he had to convince himself to get up. He spent one long minute on the ground, trying to convince himself that going further into this forsaken land was a better idea than lying here in the dirt. When he did get up, however, he was faced with a dilemma.

Squirtle was gone.

* * *

**One hour later...**

Coran ran frantically through the quickly darkening forest, trying to find any sign of Squirtle. Or any sign of an exit.

A sign of hope.

Terrified at every single sound he didn't make, he dashed across the path, confident that Squirtle wouldn't have strayed from it. But the longer he ran alongside the road, the darker things became, and the more hopeless things seemed to be.

_This is my first job! I can't die here! Where is she? Where is anything?!_

* * *

Coran was getting delirious. _The moon is so pretty. It's like a giant C in the sky. If only there were an O, R, A, and an N...I could say hi to the sky, and the sky would say hi back...hi to the sky..._ He chuckled nervously. He had slowed down, and was simply walking across the path absentmindedly. After a while of sauntering along his merry way, he heard a sort of metal scraping along with his footsteps. He looked down, and saw a pendant and chain hooked around his foot. He picked it up, and guessed it must have been the pendant he was here for. He smiled weakly, then passed out from exhaustion. Voices from the bushes called out to voices in the trees.

"He's out cold..."

"What do we do now? Can we?"

"It's fine...he doesn't need it."

"It's so shiny!"

"He won't mind, right?"

"Right."

And the pendant was gone.

* * *

**First job, and he's passed out from hunger. Wow. Oh, and just so you guys know, my posting schedule will be quite erratic, since there is no pattern for my Writer's Boom. Also, depending on whether I feel like it or not, I may give you guys some Bonus Chapters. These don't really fit in with the plot, but fill in some details. One might be that past partner that instigated the Sanity Test, for example.**


	4. Pretty Pretty, Shiny Shiny

**Stay on center, you stupid chapter!**

* * *

_**Chapter 4**_

_** Pretty Pretty, Shiny Shiny**_

Coran awoke mere seconds after whatever it was had come and stolen the pendant. He, however, did not notice it was gone. Rubbing his head, he noticed some black figures dash into the bushes to the left side of him. A little unnerved, he reasoned that they were headed away from him, and so did not do him any harm. Right?

After verifying all his limbs were both intact and attached to his body, he got up, realizing again he was still in the Sorrowing Meadows. Heaving a sigh, he bent down, picked up the pendant and-

"Where's the pendant?" He whispered to himself. "Where is the pendant?!"

It wasn't anywhere near him. He wildly searched the ground for the golden necklace, but he couldn't find it. His sights shifted quickly to the bushes where that group of black figures dissapeared into. Having no better leads as to where the jewelry went, he followed the noise.

The Sorrowing Meadows were dark now, the purple grass turning a dark grey as moonbeams fought their way through the wiry branches choking out the light. It was hard for Coran to see, but a curious feeling was overcoming him. He knew how to find the pendant.

He could smell it.

The scent was strictly metallic, with traces of an unfamiliar smell. He didn't know what to make of the latter scent, but dismissed it immediately as he realized he was following the scent of a small piece of jewelry.

_How can I do this? Is this a side-effect of being a Pokémon? Or is this Riolu-exclusive? It's so strange...I wonder if Squirtle can-_

_Squirtle._

Stopping mid-run, he called out her name. "Squirtle! Are you still here? Hellooo?" Coran strained to listen for an answer, but there was too much ambiance. The wind rustling the trees, the bushes and the stray leaves on the path, the howl of distant predators, the quiet sound of crickets...it was too much. He could never hear Squirtle over all this racket. Deciding to leave it for later, he remembered Squirtle's words. "The client comes first," he said to himself. "the client comes first, the client comes first." He turned it into a mantra, trying to convince himself that chasing the metallic, slightly repulsive scent of a ghost's pendant through a terrifying forsaken forest in the middle of the night was a _good _idea.

Eventually, he began to see stone bricks reappear on the path, before they took over the dirt road completely. The crunch of his paws on leaves turned into the rhythmic thump on stone. He kept his head down, following the scent until he tripped over a sudden incline, suddenly feeling a sharp pain on his snout. Getting up, he put his paw to his nose to assess the damage. It came back with a bit of red. He reasoned it wasn't that bad, and he'd take care of it when he got the pendant back. _The client comes first, the client comes first..._

Looking up, his mantra was interrupted by pure intimidation. He saw a huge door with large steel rings on either side, presumably to open the door. Unfortunately, the rings were positioned about a foot above where he could reach. Fortunately, there is a technique he knew that allowed him to temporarily extend his reach called jumping. He executed this technique, and hung from the ring, unsure of what to do next. Trying to think about how doors and the basic laws of physics work, he kicked the other half of the door, and the one he was on slowly swung open with a deafening creak. He dropped down from the iron ring, and slowly stepped inside.

Now some of you might have problems with what Coran is doing. You may protest, saying something like 'Coran! Going into a creepy steeple in a creepy forest is a bad idea!' Or you might have, if this was a horror movie. But it isn't, and even if it was, Coran can't hear you. So I suggest you stop whining, and keep reading the story to find out what happens to poor Coran.

The inside of the church was dark. The only natural light let in was through the stained glass windows of humans, some of which had yellow circles around their head. Was this some kind of mark? Then he noticed something. Candles were lit all through the sanctuary. And these candles all had something in common.

Crosses. They were all crosses. There were crosses everywhere. The candle holders were crosses, the book covers had crosses on them, the sides of the benches had crosses carved into the sides, and there was a big wooden ornate cross at the front of the church. In front of it was a table with a bowl and a cup filled with bread and some bitter-smelling liquid, respectively. Carved into this table were the words 'This do in remembrance of Me'. Coran was scared. There were crosses everywhere. What did it mean? What kind of dark ritual had he stumbled into?

Suddenly, he heard words, coming from a backlit doorway near the back of the sanctuary.

"...so valuable..."

"No!...n't sell..."

"...e'll keep it..."

"...out that Ri..u...?"

"It's not his, it's ours!"

"Shh!"

Coran, even more scared, began to chant his new mantra in his head to give him courage. _The client comes first, the client comes first. _If he didn't do this, he wouldn't have a place to stay!

If he did do it, he might not stay anywhere again...

Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he dashed towards the door. The voices were louder, but Coran no longer paid attention to what they were saying. He opened the door...

...and saw a group of Murkrow sitting around a table, all staring at him.

"Aah! It's the Riolu!"

"What do we do?"

"Hide the shiny!"

"It's a pendant, you dolt! We're not cave-mon, for crying out loud!"

"It's his pendant..."

"No! It's ours now!"

Coran was getting fed up after just a few minutes of listening to them bicker. "Hey! Listen to me!" He yelled.

The Murkrow shut up. Coran calmed down.

"Look. That pendant is important to me, my partner, and someone else we're getting it for. And I need it back." Coran tried to reason with the group of black crow Pokémon.

"Should we give it to him?"

"No! Kill him! It's mine!"

"It's ours..."

"No it's not, it's his."

"We found it first!"

"...in his paw."

"Losers weepers!"

"Losers weepers!"

"But he came to get it...it must be pretty important."

"Losers weepers!"

Coran started to become concerned. It seemed they weren't going to let it go that easily. "If you don't give it to me now..." He struck a fighting stance. "I'll battle you for it."

"Eek!"

"We're Dark! He's Fighting! We'll get demolished!"

"But it's so shiny!"

"Pretty pretty!"

"No! There's a disadvantage!"

"Compromise! Compromise!"

"Compromise! Compromise!"

Coran was beginning to get a headache from the way these Pokémon solved problems.

"Fine. We'll give it back if you find us another shiny."

"Another shiny _thing_. We are _not_ cave-mon!"

"Yes, yes. But it must be as shiny!"

"Or shinier!"

"Shinier!"

"Yes, shinier!"

Their shrill voices were taking a toll on Coran. He was getting sick of these Pokémon.

Come to think of it, he was getting sick of these meadows. He shook his head. "I want to get out of this stupid place as soon as possible. I'm sorry, but I'm going to fight you to get that back."

"No!"

"No!"

"Run away!"

"No!"

"Run away!"

True to what they were saying, they all broke through a nearby window, and flew off into the forest, the pendant in their clutches.

Coran stood there for a few seconds in disbelief. "Client comes first...Client comes first..." Coran shook his head as he jumped through the window, wondering if this was really worth the 1000 Poké.

* * *

Squirtle was standing on the other side of the Sorrowing Meadows, the sickle moon hanging over her head. She realized something was wrong. She looked back over her shoulder, back at the Sorrowing Meadows. It was then that it hit her. Coran was not with her. Heaving a heavy, heavy sigh, she begrudgingly trudged back into the Sorrowing Meadows.

The path was a bit harder to see, since the moon was covered by the trees. She had always wondered what it was that made the tree branches arch over the path to blot out the light. She shrugged it off and continued onward.

Later down the path, she picked up Coran's scent. _Good,_ she thought, _he can't be far off now._ She followed the trail expertly, and came to an imprint on the ground. She could have guessed from the scent, but the shape of the indent drove the point home. She was looking at a spot where Coran had passed out.

_Very unprofessional, Coran. Very-_

"Get back here, you stupid birds!" A voice yelled in the near distance.

"No! No! Run away!"

"Don't kill us!"

Squirtle's ears twitched. There was no mistaking that voice. But...such rage! And what was he chasing? She ran after the sound of rustling bushes, rustling wings and rustling jimmies.

"GIVE IT BACK!"

* * *

Coran was furious. That's the PG way to put it.

"**Get back here!**" he bellowed.**  
**

"No!"

"Danger!"

Squirtle finally caught up to him, which was hard because he was running as fast as he possibly could.

"Coran! What in Arceus' name are you so angry about?"

"They have it! 'Oh! It's mine! It's mine! Pretty pretty shiny shiny!' I'm sick of it! UGH!"

"'Pretty pretty shiny shiny'? They aren't cave-mon, Coran." Squirtle scolded, but shut her trap at the look Coran gave her.

"Squirtle." He said coolly. "I am not in the mood for this. So please. Kindly hold your clever little comments until _after_ I rip these misers' scavenging beaks from their heads."

"Please don't do that." Squirtle implored. "Just...KO them, alright? No need to be so cruel.

Coran, still running, slowly nodded his head in resignation. "Fine. But I'm still REALLY peeved."

"Wait, hold on. Why are they running from you?"

"I threatened to hurt them..."

"He's a fighter! He'll slaughter us!" The murder of Murkrow cried.

"But you're fliers too!" Squirtle pointed out. "That negates the type advantage."

The Murkrow immediately stopped flying. Slowly, deliberately, they descended and landed lightly on the dirt road.

"She's right."

"It's true. We could..."

"She's right."

"Get him!"

"It's true..."

"Get him!"

Coran just looked at Squirtle with such judgement that the only response she could give was a sheepish grin.

"I probably should have thought of what that meant before I said it..."

"Ya think?"

And the Murkrow were upon them.

Squirtle was using Swift and Tackle like no tomorrow, staring at Coran, who was weakly throwing punches at the birds.

"What are you doing!?" Squirtle asked incredulously.

"What does it look like?" Coran called back before being buried by a wave of Murkrow.

"Peck! Peck! Peck!" The Murkrow cried

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Coran yelled.

"Use a move, Coran!"

"A what-Ouch!"

"A move! You've got to know at least some!"

"I'll-Ouch!-try!"

Coran tried to tune out the horrible pain that was being inflicted upon him by the Murkrow (unknowingly using Endure) and felt an energy in his heart. It wasn't a nice energy, though. It was almost painful, but it wasn't. It was power. There was so much power. _Those Murkrow..._His eyes opened, and he saw red. Everywhere. He could not contain his anger. He had to let it out. He had to let it out _now._ _NOW._

Squirtle heard a low growling coming from the bottom of the pile, and a dim light shone between the gaps of Murkrow. "RRGH..."

Squirtle looked on in awe as the light got brighter.

Suddenly the group of Murkrow exploded in an otherworldly howl.

Coran was levitating off the ground, his fists glowing red with the power of his own Frustration. As soon as his paws touched dirt, he began slashing at the Murkrow with wild abandon, dashing to and fro, any black, feathery thing that moved was instantly struck by a closed fist going the speed of a leaf in a gale, but hit a lot harder. Squirtle could not believe what she saw before her as all parties involved screamed bloody murder. Any Murkrow not caught in the slaughter immediately flew away the first chance they got. But that was not enough. Coran's wrath-filled eyes locked onto them like some sort of predator, and he jumped as high as it took to grab them, fall and smash their faces into the ground with an incredible mock-Seismic Toss. Squirtle was scared.

As the Murkrow lay on the ground, still and unconscious, Coran quickly ran out of steam. Slowly, he resolved back to weakly hitting his fists on a select Murkrow's side before collapsing for the second time that night.

"Haah...haah..."

Squirtle cautiously walked up to him. "You...uh...you mind telling me what the heck just happened?"

"I...I, uh...haah...haah...I got the pendant back..." Coran panted, completely exhausted.

"What?!" Squirtle blew up. "You were LEVITATING back there, and you think I'm concerned about the pendant?!"

Coran simply pointed at the talon of the Murkrow he had stopped beating. It loosely clutched the pendant of the Yamask.

"The...the...the client...client comes...first..." Coran breathed, before gently resting his head on the orange grass.

Squirtle looked up, and saw the sun rising. They were right near the entrance to the Sorrowing Meadows. She smiled.

"Good job, Coran. Good job."

* * *

"Thank you for getting the pendant back!" Yamask said cheerfully.

Coran, who had earlier removed the dirt and blood caked onto his body, nodded. "You're welcome. It was a...unique experience getting it back."

"Now, if you'll give us the payment, please?" Squirtle suggested.

"Oh, yes. It's right here...wha?" Yamask looked confused. "It was right here...Um...is 800 Poké okay?"

Coran twitched. Squirtle nodded her head. "Yes, it's fine. But in the future, don't post rewards you can't follow through on, okay?"

Yamask agreed, apologized, and vacated the premises. Squirtle stole a glance at Coran, and saw him wincing. "Calm down, it's only 200 Poké."

"It's not that. I think I found out the hard way that stuff hurts when the adrenaline runs out. And I think I found out the hard way that Flying is super effective against Fighting."

"Just...take today off, Coran. You deserve it."

Coran nodded absentmindedly, then trudged off to his guest room to a pleasant surprise. There, where his bed used to be, was a crude hodgepodge of blankets and soft leaves sewn together, stuffed with what he believed to be a mixture of some sort of wool and moss. He smiled to himself.

_A mattress._

He fell down upon it and slept.

* * *

_**So Coran somehow knows Frustration without access to a TM? Although...I'm pretty sure we all have access to Frustration, amirite? Anyway, about the steeple scene, I am in no way against the Christian faith (I'm Pentecostal) but I thought it was interesting how, if it wasn't so popular a religion, people would probably think of Communion as some sort of creepy cult practise. I mean, seriously? "This is my flesh. Take, eat." It's symbolic, I know, but if we heard of some other religion that did that...I'd be creeped out. And just so you know, "rustled jimmies" is another way of saying that someone is mildly to wildly annoyed by something another person is doing. Also, biggest chapter so far! Yay!**_


	5. BONUS: The Sanity Test

**Well, here it is! My first Bonus Chapter. These will happen sometimes when I'm feeling generous, other times I'm stalling because I don't know how to start the next chapter. Either way, here it is.**

* * *

_**BONUS CHAPTER**_

_**The Sanity Test**_

Squirtle smiled to herself as she heard the 'floof' of Coran hitting his welcoming gift. _I hope he appreciates that thing. I didn't have a lot to go off of on making it._ She thought. _What was it he said? 'A large piece of fabric stuffed with soft stuff?' Well,_ She smiled as she heard Coran sleep lightly in the other room. _I guess he likes it either way._

She went back to what she was focusing on. She finished writing down the records of Poké spent and earned, and was pleased to find the business making a monthly profit. She frowned slightly, as she realized the business did not have a name yet. She made a mental note to get to that later, and came to the next paper on her desk.

_Oh no._

It was the 'First Job Report'. It was to make sure partners and employees would be productive and beneficial. The problem was that Coran had a mixed first job. On one hand, he had an incredible level of dedication to the job. He did not quit until he had that pendant. Unfortunately, his methods of getting it were...scary. She couldn't get those red, rage-filled irises out of her head. She had never seen someone so angry before.

_...Well...that isn't true. There was him..._ Squirtle thought with a shudder. Looking at the papers of Coran's job report, and the glaring results of the Sanity test, she begrudgingly looked back on what it was that forced her to integrate a Sanity test in the first place.

* * *

"Alright, Dunsparce, this is your first job. Don't screw up, and you'll be in the...business." Squirtle noted that the business did not have a name yet. She made a mental note to get to that later, and showed Dunsparce the job paper that he had decided upon.

_Take 'em down!_

Place: Mt. Maelstrom

I'm Bisharp. I consider m'self a sort of head of justice around here. And  
there's a grave injustice that I have recently witnessed. There have been  
reports of Pokémon goin' round, 'bumpin' into others' and pickin' their Poké!  
It's a pretty small gang, about three or four Pokémon or so. They seem like  
cowards, so they'll probably run soon as look at ya. Chase 'em down, and  
get the stolen Poké back! Their hideout seems to be near the base of Mt. Maelstrom.  
I'd go m'self, but I've gots ta protect the others back in Nuzlocke. Get the leader,  
'cause I think the others can't function without 'im.

Reward: Reviver Seed + Lucky Amulet

"I think I know what to do," Dunsparce said slowly, "I just need to concentrate, right?"

Squirtle tilted her head, trying to be consoling to the little Pokémon in front of her. "Well, it'll take more than just concentrating, but I'm sure you can do it. Remember, once they see you, they're going to run, so you've got to be fast."

"Right. Should we go now...?" Dunsparce asked quietly.

"Good idea."

As they made their way around the base of Mt. Maelstrom, Squirtle was noticing that Dunsparce was extremely nervous. "Everything okay, Dunsparce?"

"Huh?!" Dunsparce jumped, as if shocked by a poker. "Oh, it's you. Yeah, I-I'm fine. It's just, this is my first job, and I don't want to fail."

"It's okay!" Squirtle comforted him, continuing, "You'll do great. The way the letter said, the outlaws aren't really strong, so all you have to do is catch them."

"Okay. Got it. Alright. Okay." Dunsparce was shaking. From anticipation or fear, Squirtle couldn't tell.

They kept going around the base of the mountain, going once, twice, three times around the perimiter. It was a steep mountain, not a big one, so it took no less than thirty minutes to do one lap around it. Dunsparce was getting frustrated.

"Where is it? The base, where is it, the base?" Dunsparce whispered to himself.

"You okay, Dunsparce?" Squirtle was getting concerned. He was talking to himself.

"No. I'm angry. Why can't we just find their stupid base?" Dunsparce growled.

"Because," Squirtle reasoned, "it's a _secret_ base."

"Don't talk to me like a baby!" Dunsparce snapped. Squirtle was taken aback. She was surprised he felt bold enough to talk to her like that. Nonetheless, she shrugged it off and kept looking. Strangely, she had not seen a single wild Pokémon her entire time being here. That is why, when she saw a Meowth slinking around, she took notice of it quickly. She decided to see if Dunsparce saw it too.

"Hey!" Dunsparce yelled, his voice cracking. "You! Come here! Come here now!"

Well, he noticed it.

The Meowth looked terrified, and instantly bolted. Dunsparce instantly gave chase, screaming the entire way. Squirtle was, once again, taken aback. He did not have a reason to be this angry. They had only spent about an hour and a half here, and that wasn't a long time compared to the longer missions she'd faced by herself. Dunsparce was chasing after this Meowth with such drive that there were oval-shaped indents on the rocky ground where he had hopped. Surprisingly, Dunsparce was keeping up with the Meowth quite well, despite having no feet to run on. The Meowth turned a corner and disappeared. Dunsparce jumped around the corner and gave a primal cry of fury.

Which was quickly transformed into a whimper for mercy.

There, standing smugly around the corner of the mountain, was a Monster House.

"Raargh!" Dunsparce tried weakly. "Why aren't they running? Bisharp said they'd run!" He whispered to Squirtle nervously.

The Meowth slowly stalked up to Dunsparce, tracing a sharp claw down the side of his face. "Your move," she whispered.

Dunsparce slowly turned to Squirtle, a look of crazed terror in his eyes.

And then he tried to maul her face off.

Squirtle screamed as Dunsparce jumped up onto the Eevee's face, biting her over and over, screaming "Get me out of here!" over and over. The Monster House descended upon them, raining blow after blow on poor Squirtle, who was already enduring Dunsparce's attacks. She ran, with Dunsparce still clinging to the side of her head with its teeth.

"Let go!"

"Nephr! Git me oot of hrr!"

"I'm _trying!_"

Squirtle dashed away from Mt. Maelstrom, with the Monster House and Dunsparce hot on her heels, figuratively and literally.

* * *

"What was THAT!?" Squirtle cried.

Dunsparce was on the floor in front of the business HQ. "Get me out of here...get me out of here...get me out of here..."

"You're already out!" She yelled, using Flaaffy wool to mop up the blood and mud on her face. "What was with all that biting?!"

"Get me out of here...get me out of here..."

"You. Are. OUT ALREADY." Squirtle seethed. "I can't take do this kind of thing anymore. You're dismissed, Dunsparce. Don't bother coming back."

"Get me out of here-"

"GET. OUT."

* * *

Squirtle cringed. It wasn't one of her favorite memories, and definitely not one of her favorite missions. But, smart Pokémon learn from their mistakes, right? That's why she implemented the Sanity Test. She told Coran that he had failed, and he had, but only the first part. The Sanity Test extends past the rest of them. It extends into the first job they take. That's why she accompanies partners on their first mission. After they complete the mission, she cross referenced their performance to that fateful day. And this is where it gets tricky. She liked Coran. Really she did.

But his first mission was nearly identical to the Mt. Maelstrom catastrophe.

He seemed sane. Dedicated, even. But he freaked out. And that was the problem.

Squirtle decided she'd sleep on it.

* * *

**The first bonus chapter is finished. Now you know. And the More You Know...**


	6. Phari and Cappy

**This chapter, although important, is also an experiment of mine. I want to try something, so here goes.**

* * *

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Phari and Cappy**_

"...Coran?" Squirtle slowly walked into the guest room, watching Coran doze on the 'mattress'. "Are you awake?"

Coran rolled over sluggishly. "Barely. Why?"

"...I wanted to tell you something."

Sensing this was serious, Coran sat up attentively. "Yes?"

Squirtle took a deep breath to clear her head. "First of all, I want to congratulate you on your first mission well done."

Coran nodded, knowing there was more to this than kudos alone. Sure enough, she continued.

"But...there was a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Coran asked, slowly getting off the impromptu mattress.

"Your anger." She sighed. "I like you, Coran. I like you a lot. You're strong, and you have a strong sense of diligence. But your anger...honestly, it scares me."

Coran was beginning to see where this was going. "Wait, no! I'm sorry! I can change!" He cried. "Please don't let me go!"

Squirtle held up a paw to get him to stop. "I'm not letting you go, Coran."

He sighed in relief.

Squirtle began pacing. "Look. You're a valuable asset here. As you can see, I don't have any other employees here because I have high standards. That's probably a fault of mine, but the point remains. You need to learn to control your anger."

Squirtle stopped pacing and turned towards Coran, making sure he was paying attention. What she saw was the Riolu hanging his head to the ground, full of shame. "I'll try," he said quietly. "really, I will. I'm sorry I scared you. And if I'm gonna be honest...I was scared there too. I didn't know I could do that, and I didn't know if I could stop. I didn't want to hurt you, or break the pendant, or anything..." He looked up. "I'll try to keep it under control. I promise, Squirtle."

"Good," Squirtle smiled. "that's all I wanted to hear. Now, how about we get to your first solo job?"

Coran nodded in agreement.

* * *

The yellow sand felt warm on Coran's paws. He remembered this feeling from somewhere, but where? He just couldn't remember. Instead of focusing on that, he looked at the small slip of paper from Squirtle's Bulletin Board.

_Listen to me!_

Rank: E Place: Dusky Beach

Hello! My name is Ampharos, and I am an old lady who simply wishes to chat with  
someone willing to listen. I live in the large villa on the south cape of Dusky Beach, and  
I'm all by myself. Thus, I get very lonely sometimes, and I need someone to talk to.  
That's it! No fighting baddies, or fetching items. I just need someone with good  
ears. Please come quickly, because the tea's getting cold!

Reward: A friend + Hot Tea (if you come quickly!)

Squirtle had said that this would be a good cool-down job from the Sorrowing Meadows ordeal. Coran, after looking at the slip of paper, quickly agreed. He had thanked Squirtle for being so thoughtful, but now he was wondering if she was being patronizing. Nonetheless, Coran felt like he needed this, and tea sounded pretty good right about now.

Without further delay, he began the two-mile long walk from the start of Dusky Beach to Dusky Beach Cape, where the villa supposedly resided. As he sauntered along the coastline, Ampharos's words proved true; there was not a single hostile Pokémon here. Sure, there were Pokémon, but they were docile, or placid. He spotted an Illiumise and a Volbeat curling up together on the sandy beach, looking at the eternal sunset. Squirtle had told him that because of something called a Time Gear being stolen there a while ago, before being replaced, Dusky Beach's horizon was perpetually a setting sun. It was a glitch in time, or something. From what Coran understood, when a Time Gear is taken, everything stops. But it's back now, and only the sky doesn't move there? Is that how it works? Coran shook his head, not wanting to think about it. He turned his gaze towards the setting sun.

And what a setting sun it was. The water was glittering and shining, the fading sunbeams dancing and playing on the surface, turning the ocean a bright orange hue. The light breeze rippled the water ever so slightly, so the sun looked like it was but a mirage from the middle down. Everything around Coran had a vermillion hue, casting long, graceful shadows among the blades of grass and grains of sand. The sky was dyed a bright pink, turning a faint purple the farther it got from the blazing light. Looking back, Coran could almost see stars in the distance. There were but a few clouds, and each was tinted a dusky pink from the setting sun, looking more like cotton candy than water vapor. Coran drank all of it in, as did everyone else at the beach. This was beauty. This was alive.

Coran caught himself staring into the sun, temporarily, blinding him. It reminded him that Ampharos was waiting for him in her villa, alone. He quickened his pace to a jog, and before long, saw the sight of the villa on the cape. As he drew closer, he noticed it was a bit smaller than he imagined. It's placement, however, could not have been better. He knocked on the door (again, almost three times as big as he was) and waited on the stone steps. He heard feet slowly walk towards the door on the other side, and the door slowly opened. There, on the other side of the threshold, was Ampharos.

"Oh, hello! Are you here because of that request I sent?" She asked, her voice shaky, but sure of itself.

"Yes, ma'am. My name is Coran. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." Coran bowed cordially. _How do I know to do this? Is it common sense?_

Ampharos laughed delightedly. "Oh, get up, Coran! There's no need for formalities. I very well can't pour my heart out to someone so stiff! Come inside!" Ampharos walked back inside, beckoning Coran to follow. He obliged, a bit intimidated by the Pokémon over twice his size.

After closing the door behind him, Coran noticed that whoever chose the furniture and paint for this house must be a very good interior designer. All the colors were coordinated to match the hues the setting sun cast through the open windows.

"Come! Sit!" Ampharos's voice rang cheerily from the other side of the room. "I'm just getting the tea prepared!"

Coran slowly walked over to the other side of the room, seeing many, many picture frames on the left wall out of the corner of his eye. Some of them were scenery, but most of them were a couple. A Mareep and a Helioptile. Along the right side of the wall, he saw that they had probably evolved. There was a Flaafy and a Heliolisk, and in the latest photos, it was Ampharos and the Heliolisk.

Coming to the end of the wall, Coran nearly bumped into the chairs that Ampharos had set up. He slowly set himself down on one, and waited. He could hear Ampharos humming some sort of tune in the kitchen adjacent to the living room.

"Hold on, Coran! I'm almost finished. I hope you like orange pekoe. It's all I have left."

"Thank you, Miss...um..." Coran realized that she hadn't told him her name.

"Oh, I'm such an airhead. My name's Phari. It means...something in some dead language, but it escapes me. Here, take this." Ampharos handed Coran a cup of a brown tea. When he looked at Phari quizzically, she answered. "It's your tea. Orange Pekoe. It's my and...it's my favorite."

Coran took a sip. It tasted of herbs. He didn't particularly love the taste, but it left a warm feeling in his chest that he loved. He sipped it again. "Thank you." He bowed his head.

"You're welcome, Coran!" Phari answered as she sat down herself. Coran feared that the situation might be awkward, since all she wanted was to have someone to talk with, and he wasn't sure he could come up with his part of the deal. "Um...this is a very nice house. I like...the place that it's in." He tried, wincing at his strange wording.

"Yes, it's beautiful, isn't it?" Phari sighed happily. "My Cappy made it for me. He picked out the spot, too. Wonder it wasn't already taken, don't you think?" She asked, looking out the window.

Coran gazed out at the setting sun once again. A question popped into his head, but before he could ask it, Phari answered it.

"This is the most beautiful time of day, dusk. Too bad the sunset only lasts a while. Cappy knew dusk was my favorite time of day...he found this place. He's so good to me. Imagine...a place always reminiscent of dusk, and he found it for me." She laughed.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but who is 'Cappy'?" Coran wondered.

"Oh! Forgive me. You must have noticed those picture frames on the wall over there, right?" She pointed towards the wall of picture frames. "Cappy is the Heliolisk in the later ones. We met when we were both quite young. We were only friends then...his friends admired him for escaping...what do you call it nowadays? Oh, yes, the 'friendzone'.

"I was a singer back then. He was just another face in the crowd. We met after a small concert, went into a dark room, and...I'm _kidding__, _Coran! Wipe that look off your face!" She laughed again. "The concert was really just a talent show. He liked my singing. I liked...well, honestly, I liked how he looked...but I'm getting away from myself. After...many, many events, we got together. We decided it'd be permanent. We roamed for a while, trying to find a way to settle down. And luck would have it, my Cappy found this place.

"He built this house, you know. Terrible singing voice, but talented in architecture. I picked out the colors, of course. We tried to start a family, but..." she sighed, a bit of remorse in her voice. "we found we couldn't have children. Cappy didn't let it get him down, and he didn't let it get me down, either! We've stayed here for quite some time, but...it's a little far away from a close town for my tastes. Hard to take groceries two and a half miles, if you know what I mean."

Coran was getting more and more comfortable around Phari. This is why he did not think before asking this seemingly-innocent question. "Where is Cappy now?"

A flicker of mourning interrupted the pleasant mood of Phari's eyes, but she shut it out quickly and, Coran thought, quite forcefully. "He's out. He went on an adventure with a few of his buddies a while ago. Said he wouldn't know when he'd be back. I made him promise, though, up and down. He'll be back any day now." Phari's voice was brought down a few notches in volume. "But! Enough about me. What about you, Coran? What kind of Pokémon are you?"

Coran flinched. He wasn't used to being called a Pokémon yet. He didn't know how to answer the question. He couldn't just up and tell Phari he was a human; she'd have a heart attack! Either that, or she'd think he's lying. He decided he'd tell as much as he remembered._  
_

The problem with lying on the fly is that you can make mistakes and contradictions rather easily. That is why if you are going to flat-out lie to the people you love and care about, betraying their trust and view of you as a person or Pokémon, you should probably prepare something first, to make sure you don't refer to your Aunt Katy as Beatrice, or refer to you dog as dinner by accident.

Coran did not have this luxury. Fortunately, he seemed to be a talented liar.

"I'm...um...where do I begin? Born of one mother, father left a bit after I was hatched." _Wait, hatched? I'm not a chicken!_ But Phari seemed to accept this, nodding her head to signal him to go on. _She's buying it. Are all Pokémon hatched? Strange..._ "I was raised by her. Later, I left the house, and...well, not a lot happened. I joined Squirtle's...business. And I've been working there ever since."

"Yes, but what kind of Pokémon are _you?_" Phari asked, leaning forward. "I know your past, Coran, but I don't know who you are."

Coran was suddenly uncomfortable. He started fidgeting in his chair, trying to think of something to say.

"Oh, is this a sensitive subject? I'm so sorry!" Phari apologized profusely, before looking out the window. "Oh, it's almost night! You better get going, Coran. We don't want you to take all day just to chat with an old lady!"

"Wait, I've been here all day?"

"Yes! Judging from the time you got here, you must have left just before sunhigh. It's night now."

Coran looked out the window at the sun incredulously. "How can you tell?"

"I can read the language of the sun. Its flares, even though it seems stuck there forever, tell me where it actually is in the sky."

"Really?!" Coran gaped. "That's amazing!"

"Sometimes, if I listen close enough, I can hear it speaking to me. It's telling me to destroy all the toothbrushes." Phari gave Coran a wry smile.

Coran simply smiled. He got up to the kitchen to wash the teacup. _How do I know to do this? Etiquette?_

"Oh, no, Coran! You need to get back! I'll wash the dishes. I insist!" Phari smiled, before taking the cup from Coran's paws.

"Thank you, Phari." Coran bowed.

"Coran! What have I told you about being so formal?" Phari placed her hands on her hips, smirking. "Off you go. I don't want to see you in a mess because of me."

"Alright. I'll be seeing you, then?"

"Of course. I'll have to have you back sometime."

Just before Coran was about to exit through the front door, Phari spoke up. "Coran?"

"Yes, Phari?"

"...Thank you. I needed this."

"You're welcome. Goodbye, Phari."

"Goodbye."

And Coran was out the door, leaving Phari with only her pictures and her memories to keep her company. Slowly, she walked back into the kitchen and began washing the dishes.

* * *

"What took you so long, Coran?" Squirtle asked, when Coran had gotten back to the...business.

"She wanted me to talk with her in the letter. I did. And...I might have dragged it out a bit. She didn't help, though. We just kept talking and talking."

"Hey, hey. It's fine. You needed this after Sorrowing Meadows."

"Yeah, I kind of did. Thanks, Squirtle. I'll get back to the tough missions tomorrow."

"Alright. Goodnight, Coran."

"Hey, Squirtle, if you don't mind me asking, what mission did you do today?"

"Good_night,_ Coran." Squirtle chided.

Coran sighed. "Goodnight, Squirtle."

* * *

**Well, there it is. The experiment. Please, review! It makes me feel like this isn't all for naught. And even if you don't have an account, you can still post the review, so YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE. And if you see a problem, tell me! Negative reviews are just as good as positive ones!**


	7. When Hell Freezes Over

**The plot thickens! I think!**

* * *

_**Chapter 6**_

_**When Hell Freezes Over**_

"...Did you hear?"

"...No, what?..."

"...Drasil...broken..."

These are the murmurs Squirtle woke up to in the morning. The...business (She had to get to that soon) wasn't very close to anything else in Nuzlocke, so there had to be something important.

Quietly, she walked outside, being careful not to wake Coran. Which was strange because she had no reason not to. As a matter of fact, she might have had a reason _to_ wake Coran up because whatever was occurring must have been important, since they had mentioned something about the Drasil.

Coming outside, she saw the rude Breloom from before talking with a Servine. "What do we do now?" Servine was asking.

"I don't know. It's not my problem" Breloom shrugged.

Servine huffed, crossing his arms. "It's going to be your problem pretty soon! Once the roots here wilt, this place is gonna go to the dogs! You heard what happened to Faren Heights, didn't you?"

"Yeah, yeah. The roots there wilted, and 'look what happened!'" The Breloom rolled his eyes.

Squirtle decided now would be a good time to butt in. "Um, excuse me?" Both the Servine and Breloom turned to look at her. "What's happened to the Drasil?"

Breloom gave her a bemused look, but said nothing. Servine decided to step up. "Earlier this morning, one of the roots from the Drasil wilted. It reached towards the northeast, and now Faren Heights is frozen."

"Frozen!?" Squirtle was shocked. "Oh, no. I've gotta check this out myself!"

"I wouldn't," Breloom crossed his arms, looking away.

"And why not?" Squirtle was getting sick of Breloom's attitude, but decided to humor him.

"Because," Breloom took the air of a parent telling a small child not to touch the stove when it's red, "it's very dangerous, especially for basic-forms like you."

"Basic-forms? What does-HEY!" Squirtle shouted. "I've went on more adventures than you've taken shopping trips! I think I can handle a little bit of heat."

"You weren't listening. Faren Heights _froze. _It's really cold there now."

"Well, I can handle cold climates just as well!"

"Mmm." Breloom pulled out an apple, and started eating it. "Anyways, I've got to get going. More shopping trips to do."

With that, he left. Squirtle left, too, in a huff. This left Servine all by himself.

"Wh-where'd everybody go?" He asked incredulously.

* * *

"Coran!" Squirtle burst into the...business (seriously). "We're going on a business trip!"

"Wha?" She heard his voice from the guest room. He seemed to really enjoy that mattress. She made a note to make herself one, right after naming the business and asking what 'bored games' are. "What are we doing?"

"We're going to check something out. Apparently, the Drasil roots are all brittle, and some of them are broken or something, one of which extended to Faren Heights, and some rude Pokémon thinks I can't do it. So we're doing it."

"W-wait..." Coran was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Doing what? Extending where? What's brittle?"

"Going to Faren Heights, Faren Heights, the Drasil roots. Keep up, Coran!" Squirtle fumed.

"You seem...agitated." Coran said slowly.

Squirtle huffed air out. "Just because I'm a basic-form Eevee doesn't mean I can't handle a bit of chilly weather...I'll show him. I'll show all of them! Ooh, I wish _I_ could use Frustration right now!"

"Wait a tick. What's a Drasil? Is that some kind of Pokémon I haven't heard about?"

"You don't know what the Drasil is?" Squirtle stared at Coran in disbelief. "Wow...where have you lived all your life, under a rock?"

"...Um...hello, I'm Coran. I have amnesia and I think I might be human. Have we met?"

"You know I still think you're insane, right?" Squirtle said simply.

Coran chuckled. "You remind me every day."

"Well, anyway, the Drasil is this huge tree directly north of Nuzlocke that has these roots that extend all across the land. These roots maintain the nature of the land and keep everything in check. Keeps hot places hot, cold places cold, such and such, so on, so on. Anyway, the roots are brittle now, and that means that they can't keep the nutrients of order flowing throughout the land. The only brittle root I've heard of is the one that leads to Faren Heights. And apparently, this root is what kept it so hot. Now it's freezing there."

"And we're going there because..."

"Because we can." Squirtle said simply.

"How is this stuff any of our business?"

"It's all of our business, Coran!"

"And what can we do to stop this? Doesn't this mystical tree have some sort of defense mechanism?"

"Yeah, a guardian, but he's been doing a good job so far, hasn't he?"

"Again, I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not."

"Coran! Get your stuff together, we're going."

Coran held his paws up in defeat. "Alright, fine!"

* * *

"Hello, and welcome to Banette's Bazaar. How may I help-oh, it's Ms. Thesaurus! Welcome!" The Shuppet exclaimed.

"I'm Squirtle, not Ms. Thesaurus. Anyways, I would like some orbs."

The Shuppet nodded. "What kinds? They're sorted by function."

"Do you have any weather modifiers?" Squirtle asked.

"Um...let me check..." The Shuppet drawled each word out, turning around, flipping through some books. Squirtle was pretty sure they were records. "Looks like we have a Hail Orb, a Rainy Orb, a Sandy Orb and a Sunny Orb. They're over...here." Shuppet led them to another shelf near the back part of the shop. It was a bit secluded, and quite dusty. "Sorry about the state of this place. Orbs aren't in very high demand, so most Pokémon don't really come back here."

"You only keep places clean if Pokémon go there?" Squirtle asked incredulously.

"Trust me, you do _not _want to see my room." Shuppet smiled, before turning back towards the shelf. "Hmm...I can never tell the difference between these things...where are they?"

"Alright. Um...hmm..." Squirtle seemed to be deciding what to buy. Coran thought it to be no contest.

"We're going to someplace super cold, right? Shouldn't we take a bunch of Sunny Orbs? I mean, from what you guys have said, and what it's called, it changes the weather to sunny, right?"

Squirtle stared at him, blinked twice, and turned to Shuppet. "Five Sunny Orbs, please."

"Oh, sorry. We only have the one. Banette's out restocking right now."

"Alright, we'll take that then."

"Okay. That'll be 100 Poké."

"Here you go." Squirtle forked over the coins.

"Alright, it's all here. Thank you! And, uh...I bid you good fortune in your...uh...unfolding endeavors!" Shuppet called as they walked away.

"Shut up!" Squirtle called back, laughing a bit.

* * *

The rocks under Coran's feet felt hot. Really hot. And worse news, they stretched on as far as the eye can see. The parched ground seemed to cry for moisture, water, anything to quench its thirst. But all it got was the unrelenting sun and the weight of two weary travelers. There was not a cloud in the sky, which meant no shade. This meant no escape from the redundantly inescapable heat.

"How long is it until Faren Heights?" Coran asked, watching the ground waver and wiggle in the distance, as if it were trying to detach from the rest of itself and float gently up into the stratosphere, where it was probably a little colder.

"S...see that mountain up ahead?" Squirtle asked.

Coran looked and saw a mountain, steaming from the lava bursting forth from it. It seemed to glow, even in the midday sun. Coran tried to imagine how unbelievably hot it must be there. He failed. "That's where we're going?"

"No, no. It's to the right of that, farther down."

Coran shifted his gaze accordingly, and stopped walking. "That's it?"

"That's it."

They continued walking, for another ten minutes or so. Then they came to the beginning of Faren Heights.

It was as if someone drew a line with a marker in the ground. Almost immediately, it went from steaming, cracked rocks and hardened dirt, to cold, grey frigid grass. Testing to see if it was real, Coran softly put his paw onto the grass, and instantly retracted it. It was cold and wet. He looked up, and couldn't believe his eyes. Spires rose from the ground like giant stalagmites, each one so high that Coran had to crane his neck to see the top of it. Curiously, even though the environment was unbelievably cold, there was no snow, no ice. There was no vegetation, and no sign of life. He could tell that this used to be a desert. He began to wonder what this place would be like if it was still hot.

"Coran! Come look at this!" Squirtle had dashed ahead, looking down a very large hole. Coran walked up to her, and shared her view of...something.

Down, in the bottom of the pit, was blue lava. That, Coran reasoned, was the best way of describing it. Blue lava. It had black stripes, and fluctuated like a thick liquid, but it was...an icy blue. Coran wasn't sure if it was sub-zero or not, but he didn't want to find out. He looked over the edge, and saw a cave that the blue lava seemed to flow into.

"Wow...they weren't kidding. What happened to this place?" Squirtle breathed. It seemed that she was just as taken with this strange environment as Coran was.

Coran said nothing, shifting his gaze back at the spires rising out of the ground. They were so...so, uh...

Coran swayed on his feet. Something wasn't right. He stumbled on one foot, then the other. _I have to...get back from the lava_... He felt dizzy, his head was swimming. He felt something cold, hard and frozen press up against his back. He looked forward at the sky. _Did...I fall? I don't remember that... _He saw Squirtle's concerned face above him, shouting something. It hurt his ears, and he screwed up his face in discomfort. Her voice was muffled, as if coming in through several sheets of blanket. She lowered her voice after seeing his scrunched up eyes, but Coran still couldn't make out the words. _When did I open my eyes? _He felt black shapes press through his subconscious into his vision. _Go away...I don't wanna sleep now._ But they kept coming, blotting out Squirtle's terrified face until there was nothing but black.

* * *

Squirtle gazed down into the blue lava. It was beautiful. She almost wanted to touch it...would it be bad if she

_Thump._

By instinct she quickly pivoted around, ready to face the threat she was faced with. But there was no threat.

There was nothing.

Coran lay on the ground with a bewildered, stupid look on his face, a wide grin on his lips, as if bemused by something. Squirtle ran over, about to scold him, but then she saw that he was shivering. Bad. He had a glazed look in his eyes, and his pupils were dilated.

"Coran! Are you okay? You look a bit cold!" Squirtle yelled. Coran instantly frowned, shutting his eyes tight. Squirtle realized she was shouting, and toned her voice down.

"Coran, answer me. Can you say something? How are you feeling? Coran?"

His eyelids slowly opened, and he grinned again, before looking around wildly with his head completely stationary. He was scared. His eyes locked onto Squirtle's, with a look pleading for help, before they closed again.

"Coran! Coran! Wake up! You can't fall asleep now! Cor-"

A sharp pain exploded on the back of Squirtle's head, sending sparks into her eyes, and just like that, Squirtle was knocked unconcious.


	8. Enter: Monty

**Fun Fact: This blurb at the top has changed twice.**

* * *

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Enter: Monty**_

"_This is the end...close your eyes, and count to ten..._" Coran sang shakily, not bothering to think about where that song was from. He didn't have a chance to.

It was so so cold. So so very cold.

* * *

Squirtle woke up to the feeling of cold grass on her side. Shivering, she quickly got up from the frigid ground, and surveyed the area. She frowned. She was still in Faren Heights. This was one of the drawbacks of not having a badge. If you faint, you aren't teleported out of the dungeon. Before anything else, she noticed something was wrong. Something was missing. She felt almost lighter somehow, but she didn't

The treasure bag. It's gone. Her wonder map. Gone. She looked around, seeing if it was anywhere near her. That's when it hit her.

Coran. Gone.

Frantic, she began running in one direction, hoping against hope she'll find some sort of sign of her companion. He didn't seem very tolerant of the cold, so this place can't be good for him to stay in.

"Coran? You there? Say something!" She yelled, then perked her ears, listening for any sort of sound. She heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw a Glailie. She was about to ask if it had seen a Riolu, maybe delirious, short, blue hair; her partner. It's too bad that she couldn't ask the question because the next thing she knew, her head was aching, and she was down on the frigid ground, the Glailie hovering over her with a malicious grin. Squirtle could only brace herself as the Glailie charged again, hitting her squarely in the chest, knocking the breath out of her.

"What the-" Squirtle dodged out of the way of another attack, then used Bite. "Ow! Ow-ow-ow!" She yelped after removing her teeth from the rock like body of the Glailie. "I really should've thought that through first!" She whined.

The Glailie shook his head, a look of confusion crossing his face, before being swiftly replaced by one of shattered pride. With a huff, Glailie floated off, out of sight. _Good, _Squirtle thought, _now I can get back to looking for Coran._ She raised her nose to the air, and inhaled. Almost instantly, she caught the scent of Coran.

Running towards the source of the scent since there was no wind at the moment, Squirtle came to the spot where she was originally attacked. She closed her eyes, and sniffed again. She smelled herself and Coran, side by side. This was probably when they were both unconscious. Then she noticed two more smells. This did not necessarily mean two Pokémon, just two different kinds. The problem was, she couldn't pinpoint which Pokémon they were. Either way, they had gotten close to where Coran and herself had been, and that made them suspicious Po-

"Why hello, there!"

Squirtle nearly jumped out of her skin, whipping around so fast she felt as if her ears would rip off. She was about to achieve the first strike with a Tackle, when she recognized the face of the Pokémon approaching her.

"Wait...you're that Servine from Nuzlocke square! The one talking to that Breloom about the Drasil! What are you doing-"

"Ah, so you remember me! I'm flattered!" the Servine said, a gallant (almost forced) tone in his voice. He probably didn't realize he had just interrupted Squirtle. "I remember you as well! You were that one so indignified by Marvin. Though I don't quite recall your name..."

"Wait, that Breloom's name is _Marvin?_" Squirtle asked incredulously, before realizing Servine had asked her an indirect question. "Oh, I'm Squirtle. And you are?"_  
_

"Monty Montgomery, at your service!" Monty bowed low, before putting his hand up to his mouth, whispering, "Though...not at this very minute."

"Why? What are you doing?"

"You remember, Squirtle, Marvin and I talking of the Drasil's roots wilting, correct?"

"Yes." Squirtle nodded very slowly, drawing out her words as if speaking to a child. "That's why I came here, Monty."

The sarcasm was lost on Monty, as he continued. "After you left off in a huff about coming here and investigating, I went home and made myself a nice wholesome breakfast. Most important meal of the day, you know. Anywho, I got to thinking about you, and your decision. After some deep thought, I came to the decision that investigating Faren Heights was a swell idea! So I proclaimed myself an Exploring Rescue Team Pokémon Captain Extraordinaire, and came straight here! And you would not believe what I have found!"

"A swell idea? I was knocked out by an unknown Pokémon! It's dangerous here!"

Monty ignored her. "Do you know what mystery I've uncovered?" Monty leaned in, expecting Squirtle to answer.

She obliged, in an unimpressed, monotone voice. "No, Monty. I don't know what mystery you've uncovered. Please share."

"Upon arriving here, I concluded that the entire Faren Heights area..." He paused, probably for dramatic effect. "...was completely _frozen solid!_"

Squirtle rolled her eyes. Monty was wasting her time. She had to find Coran and get out of this mess.

"I also found something more...sinister." Monty's change of tone of voice caught Squirtle's attention. He didn't sound so whimsical anymore. "What? Did you say sinister?"

Monty nodded solemnly. "I witnessed something terrifying a few minutes after setting foot on this cursed ground." He said the word cursed with two syllables, probably for more dramatic effect. It worked on Squirtle. "I witnessed a kidnapping."

"What?!" Squirtle practically screamed.

"Yes! It was terrible! Awful! Horrible! Disturbing! Dare I say..._bad!_" Monty gasped. "A sleeping Riolu, taken right before my very eyes! They just-"

"_Did you just say Riolu?!_" Squirtle was trying not to pull her hair out.

"Yes! Do you know him? Anyways, as I was saying, they-"

"He's my partner! Where did they take him!?"

Monty crossed his arms and huffed. "I was getting to that! They dragged him into that pit over there." He pointed towards the cold lava pit. "I looked, and saw a bit of an opening on this side of the cliff. It looked to lead into a cave of sorts...hey, where are you going?"

"I'm going to save Coran." Squirtle was already dashing off to the cold lava pit, ready to save her partner.

"Hold on a moment! You're going to need the help of an Explorer Rescue Team Pokémon Captain Extraordinaire!"

Squirtle turned around to face Monty. "Coran is my friend, and I need to find him now, because something bad might happen to him." she said, then mumbled, "It always does when I'm not around him..."

"Well, then let me help you! Trust me, I'm not your average Explorer Rescue Team Pokémon Captain Extraordinaire!" Monty struck a pose.

"I'm sure you are." Squirtle said, smirking. She was still walking backwards, away from Monty, and therefore, didn't see the cold pit of lava that really wanted to give her a nice sub-zero bath. She kept stepping back, noticing Monty had a suddenly extremely worried expression, before also noticing she wasn't walking anymore.

Her chin hit the front of the cliff, sending sparks of pain through her head. As she looked below her, she realized with horror that she was off the cave by a few meters. So if she let go of the rocky crag that was cutting into the pads of her paws, she would plunge into the black and blue abyss. She heard a scraping sound, not realizing it was her paws slipping on the tiny grains of rock. A few more seconds and she'd be done for...

"Don't worry, I've got you!" Monty yelled, running towards Squirtle.

_Aw crap. If the lava doesn't kill me, he might..._

She felt vines wrap around her torso, and, surprisingly gently, lift her up over the edge of the cliff back onto solid ground. She stared wide eyed at the place where she had been fighting for her life, before shifting her gaze to Monty, who once again struck a pose.

"You see? I'm not as useless as you think I am!"

"I, uh...I didn't think you were useless!"

Monty crossed his arms and smirked. "I'm not as gullible either, Squirtle."

_He saved my life with no difficulty whatsoever _and_ he's actually competent? This is a lot to take in..._

Monty paused, before slowly drawling out the word "so" like so. "Soooooo..." He leaned towards Squirtle expectantly.

Squirtle was silent, biting her lower lip. She stared up at Monty, then down at the pit. Then Monty, then the pit again.

"...fine. But if you come, you have to actually prove yourself to be an Extra Ordinary Rescue Pokémon Captain Jack. Or whatever you said."

"Explorer Rescue Team Pokémon Captain Extraordinaire." Monty chipped in helpfully.

"Yes, what you said. Let's get down there."

* * *

The cave looked a lot more menacing than it did from the top of the cliff. There was an eerie blue glow off in the distance, signaling the presence of more sub-zero lava. Oddly enough, there were no stalagmites, but there were plenty of stalactites, hanging down from the ceiling like Zubats waiting to strike.

And then one did.

Monty shrieked in surprise, trying to wave off a Zubat. Squirtle was about to help him with it, when she suddenly had her own problems. More Zubats, screeching so loud Squirtle's ears felt like they were about to melt off. She was immobilized by the sound, unable to attack or even open her eyes. She just stood there taking hit after hit after hit.

Monty had finished the one Zubat, and saw all the others surrounding Squirtle.

"Don't worry, I'll save you!"

"Don't waste time talking and just do it!" Squirtle's voice had a strange tone to it, resulting from not being able to hear herself.

Monty nodded slowly, then proceeded to twirl his hand in a circle. Immediately there was an extremely strong wind circling Squirtle and the rest of the Zubats. Squirtle was fine since she was grounded, but the Zubats were being tossed and turned, bumping into eachother. The tornado made its way away from Squirtle, and that's when Monty tossed razor sharp leaves into the wind.

Sixteen Zubat lay on the floor, fainted.

Squirtle panted, completely exhausted. She reached for an oran berry to restore her health in her treasure bag. She couldn't find it. Then she remembered with a groan that her treasure bag was stolen.

"Here, take this." Monty offered a Sitrus berry to her. She thanked him and ate it. It wasn't like the oran berry in the way of the feeling of restoration. The oran berry is gentle, caressing. The Sitrus, however...

She felt a bolt of electricity dart to and fro within her body, igniting anything that was previously hurting into a flame of energy. Squirtle's eyes went wide from the rush, and she smiled as she realized that she could probably run to the ends of the earth if she wanted to. Why not? What else does she have to do? It's fun to run! Ha, she made a rhyme! Rhyme's a funny...and it was gone.

Monty was trying not to laugh. "I take it you've never tried a Sitrus berry before?" He said between snickers.

Squirtle was still shaking. "N-no. No I haven't. What's in that thing?"

"The oran berry simply restores your health. The Sitrus berry only restores your health, too, but it gives you quite the jolt, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It does." Squirtle shook her head quickly to clear her thoughts. "Let's keep going."

Fortunately (or strangely, depending on how you look at it) Squirtle and Monty did not notice another wild Pokémon for the entirety of being in the cave. They followed the blue light quietly without conversation. _Strange, the light seems to be moving with us._ Squirtle decided to do an experiment. Out of nowhere, she used Quick Attack. As she suspected, the source of the light was not blue lava, but was in fact a Litwick.

That immediately got spooked and ran away as fast as it could.

"It's not blue lava! It's a Litwick!" Squirtle shouted back at Monty, before running after it. "Wait! Wait up!"

They chased after the Litwick for a while, not noticing that it was sobbing as it ran from them, fighting tears from its eyes.

Throughout twists and turns and lefts and rights, Monty and Squirtle ran as fast as they could toward the Litwick.

The Litwick saw an opening in the cave, which made it weep even harder. Squirtle and Monty took notice of it this time. They kept running though, ignoring their suspicions.

Then they passed through the opening into a huge chamber. The ceiling was so high Squirtle had to stand on her hind legs to see it, but as soon as she looked back down, she saw the Litwick in tears. "I-I'm sorry..." It said, before dashing away. Monty and Squirtle were about to go after it, before a silky voice drawled out, "I wouldn't do that..."

Squirtle turned around to see a Chandelure. Her mouth dropped open farther than it had ever gone before.

Because right there, underneath the Chandelure, was Coran, frozen solid.

* * *

**I saved you guys from differentiating stalagmites (ground) from stalactites (ceiling). And now I've given you a trick to remember them. Side benifit of reading my story! By the by, review if you can!**


	9. Evil Ways

**You've got me runnin' and hidin' all over town/You got me sneakin' and peepin' and runnin' you down/This can't go oooooon!/Lord knows you've gotta change!**

* * *

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Evil Ways**_

_Squirtle and Monty passed through the opening into a huge chamber. The ceiling was so high Squirtle had to stand on her hind legs to see it, but as soon as she looked back down, she saw the Litwick in tears. "I-I'm sorry..." It said, before dashing away. Monty and Squirtle were about to go after it, before a silky voice drawled out, "I wouldn't do that..."_

_Squirtle turned around to see a Chandelure. Her mouth dropped open farther than it had ever gone before._

_Because right there, underneath the Chandelure, was Coran, frozen solid._

"Coran!" She screamed in horror. "What have you done to him?"

Monty was shaking his head in shock, too scared to say anything. "That's him, Squirtle. The one those Pokémon took."

The Chandelure floated down beside Coran. "I've saved him." It said simply.

"Saved him?! From what?! He can't take the cold!" Squirtle screamed in anger.

"He's not cold, dear Eevee. He _is_ the cold. Right now, he's solid ice."

"WHAT?!"

Monty put up his fists. "Excuse me, sir or madam, but turning innocent Pokémon into solid ice is both against my morals and downright rude! Change him back before-"

"Oh, he isn't innocent." The Chandelure said calmly, as if there wasn't a pair of Pokémon getting ready to piledrive it into the ground. "He was quite a scrapper, that one."

"A scrapper? He's totally innocent! Since I've found him, he hasn't done a single bad thing!" Squirtle yelled, her throat getting sore from the stress it was under.

"Oh, I don't doubt it. But unfortunately...well, you know what happened to the Drasil, yes?"

"...Yes, I do." Squirtle said carefully.

"Something else happened along with the roots wilting. The conscience of some Pokémon are melting away."

"The conscience?" Monty asked, confused. "Do you mean the little voice telling you right from wrong? That's melting away inside Coran right now?"

"Of course not. He's ice, I told you. Of course, ice doesn't have a conscience, but it can't act upon it's lack of one, can it?" Chandelure, again, said this agonizingly calmly.

"You know what I think?" Squirtle said in soft, measured tones. "I think YOU'RE the one with no conscience!" She scoffed. "Why are we even talking to this loon, Monty? Unfreeze him, Chandelure! Now!"

If a Chandelure could shrug, that's what it did. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Suddenly Coran was restored to normal.

And then he immediately jumped onto Squirtle and began pummeling her into the ground.

"Squirtle!" Monty yelled, absolutely shocked. He began twirling his hand to start up Leaf Tornado, but was stopped by Squirtle.

"Don't hurt him-" She got out before being socked in the jaw by Coran's fist. She looked frantically up at his face, and recognized the look. It was the look the Glailie that attacked her earlier had. He was out of his mind.

"What do I do, then?"

"Get him-" she started before getting punched again. "GET HIM OFF OF ME!"

Monty started up a Leaf Tornado, sans leaf. He tossed it at Coran and Squirtle, throwing the Riolu roughly off of Squirtle's beaten and battered body. He quickly followed it up with a strong Grass Knot, keeping him on the ground, immobile.

Squirtle slowly stood up, her jaw swelling from the blow Coran landed. Weakly, she stumbled her way over to Coran, who was wildly thrashing about, trying to break free of the now cold knot binding his feet to the ground. Squirtle stood just out of arms' reach of him, and stared at him hard. She didn't know what to make of it.

"What happened to him, Squirtle?" Monty asked quietly. Squirtle turned back to look at Monty helplessly, with tears in her eyes. She said nothing.

"I told you two already, his conscience melted away." The Chandelure, whom Squirtle had forgotten about, said, a bit of exasperation in its voice. "Well, almost."

"What do you mean, almost? He tried to kill me! He knows that Fighting is super...effective against...Normal." Squirtle's voice wavered. "The Sanity Test. No..."

"Now, now. First of all, this is mostly not his fault. There are some unknown factors in conscience melting. Secondly, I said almost, because it isn't completely gone. That is why I said I saved him by freezing him. His conscience was preserved in ice. To restore it...observe." The Chansey said as she walked up to Coran, still struggling furiously.

Monty and Squirtle stood there, looking at eachother, trying to confirm what the heck happened to Chandelure.

The Chansey winded her hand back, and slapped Coran hard against the face twice.

When Coran recovered from the force of it, his eyes fell on Squirtle. He looked confused, until he looked at his feet, still spending quality time with the ground because of Monty's Grass Knot. Then he became suspicious. "Okay, I've got some questions for you. Why does your jaw look so weird, where am I, who are those two, why does my cheek hurt, and why are my feet tied up?"

Squirtle choked. "You're okay...Coran, you're okay!" She ran up to him as fast as she could and tackled him to the ground, before both groaned in pain. Squirtle from the aches and pains, and Coran from having his feet bent parallel to the rest of his legs. "The knot thing...?"

Monty quickly untied it, trying to hide his embarrassed blush.

Coran lightly pushed Squirtle off of him, getting up. "You still haven't answered any of my questions, Squirtle." He said, smiling.

"First you answer mine. How much do you remember?"

Coran frowned, thinking it unfair since he asked his questions first. Nonetheless, he answered hers. "I remember coming to the cold lava pit, and being really, really cold." He shivered. "So cold. Someone was talking to me, and I couldn't talk back. He said...agh, sorry. I can't remember. Okay, you now."

Squirtle stood there quietly. "I'm sorry, Coran. I'm sorry you had to go through this. I'm sorry _I_ put you through this."

Coran didn't know what to say. "...Through what?"

Monty walked up to him. "You truly don't know?" He said solemnly.

"Who are you?" Coran said, leaning back uncomfortably.

"This is Monty. He's a...friend."

"Then, no. I don't know. What is going on here, Squirtle? You only half answered one of my questions!"

Chansey finally spoke again. "You're underground beneath Faren Heights. You were taken here after thrashing in your sleep. This is a symptom of your conscience melting away-"

"What?! What is that supposed to mean?"

"I was going to tell you. It means that if I had not done anything, you wouldnt've been able to tell if what you are doing is right or wrong. Usually, Pokémon like this lean towards the wrong side of the spectrum. Anyways, I froze you solid so your conscience would be preserved. Squirtle and Monty came down here later, and accused me of *ahem* murdering you. They demanded I unfreeze you, so I did. And...well." Chansey trailed off, shifting her gaze to Squirtle to finish the story.

Squirtle bowed her head, fighting off tears. "You...tried to kill me."

Coran kept a straight face. "Sorry, what? I don't think I heard you. Could you run that by me again?"

"She said you tried to kill her." Monty said on Squirtle's behalf.

Coran now looked angry. "Okay, I don't know what kind of person- what kind of Pokémon you think you are, but you're no stand-up comic. I did not try to-"

"Yes, you did, Coran." Squirtle looked at him again, a somber look clouding her eyes. "You threw me to the ground and punched me over and over. I taught you the type tables, so you know that Fighting is super effective against Normal. I couldn't hurt you, Coran! You punched me square in the _jaw_, and I couldn't do squat! Monty had to blow you off of me with a Leaf Tornado before I fainted, and he tied you to the ground with his Grass Knot."

"It's very strong, you know." Monty said proudly, before realizing too late that this was not the time. "Sorry."

Squirtle ended her death glare at Monty, and returned to Coran. "You looked almost...rabid, tied to the ground like that. It was painful watching you like that. And Chandelure came over to you in that state and slapped you across the face. And here we are."

Coran was breathing heavily. He shook his head slowly, backing up. "No, I wouldn't. I couldn't hurt you. I can't!" He looked at his hands, then at Squirtle's now purplish jaw. He shook his head again. "No. No, I can't. I didn't. You're...you're...you can't be..." Coran fell to the ground, a mess of tears and emotions.

"It isn't your fault, Coran." Squirtle tried to comfort him. "It's okay, it's over now."

"C-can we go home now?" Coran asked, reminding Squirtle of a small child she once knew very very well.

Squirtle offered him her paw. Coran took it, and she pulled him up. "Yes, Coran. We can go home now."

* * *

Monty stood outside the...business. As he realized this business didn't have a name, he made a mental note to confront Squirtle about it later. As it turned out, he did not have to wait long. Squirtle was walking out the front door. "He's fine. Still cold to the touch, but fine."

"And what about you?" Monty asked, eyebrow raised. "Are you fine, after what you went through?"

Squirtle looked down at the ground, remorse obvious on her face. "Is it okay if I say no?" She asked, noticing she felt quite friendly with Monty for only meeting him formally that morning.

"Yes, it's fine. I understand. Having your best friend punch you in the jaw-" Monty began, before being interrupted.

"He isn't my best friend!" Squirtle said indignantly. "We're just helping each other out! I'm giving him a place to stay, and he's helping with the...business." She trailed off, disappointed she hadn't gotten to that issue yet. It's been almost 7 chapters, Squirtle. Get your act together.

Monty smiled knowingly. "What I saw back at Faren Heights was not Pokémon helping each other out, Squirtle."

"Well, that's what we are." She said stubbornly.

Monty suddenly coughed violently. "COUGH! COUGHDENIALCOUGH!"

Squirtle held an offended pose, before dropping it. "Okay. You got me." She said, defeated. "But after today, I don't know what to think anymore..."

Now Monty was angry. "You said to him that it wasn't his fault!"

Squirtle gave a look over his shoulder. "You don't know what I've seen from him. He failed the Sanity Test, Monty. Failed with defying colors."

"The Sanity Test?" Monty asked.

"I give it to anyone who wants to join the...Alright, I'm going to have to name it today. But anyways, it's for anyone who wants to become partners. I made it after a past experience with an...acquaintance. It has two stages, and I don't usually tell any Pokémon about it. The first is just me talking to them. By now, I can tell if someone is mentally sound just from their mannerisms. But to be safe, I take them on a mission, and cross-reference it with that past incident. Coran's first mission was almost terrifyingly similar. Not only that, but-" She stopped herself. _No,_ She thought, _not to him. Not now._

Monty leaned in expectantly, before perceiving that Squirtle didn't want to talk about it. "Well, I for one don't think it's his fault, Squirtle."

Squirtle sighed. "You're right. Well, anyways, I've got to get to bed. It's been a long day."

"It has," Monty nodded, the situation growing awkward, "but before I go, I have to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Can I join?"

Squirtle blinked, the statement taking time to register. "You want to join the business?"

"Yes." Monty confirmed. "Before I do, however, did I pass the Sanity Test?"

"...Barely." Squirtle smirked. "C'mon, I have a few more tests for you to do _before_ you sign the contract. I'm going to do it right this time."

"Why? What happened last time, if you don't mind indulging?"

"I mind. A lot."

* * *

**Go, main conflict! I choose you! Use Confusion! Reader used Critical Review! It's super effective!**


	10. Let's Go to the Mall Today!

**I've just now came up with a name for the...business. If I remember while I'm writing, I'll fit it in. I can't do it afterwards, because then the flow of the story is broken. Also, these blurbs up here are STILL to keep the chapter thing on the CENTER of the PAGE.**

* * *

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Let's Go to the Mall Today!**_

"You do realize if you join, you'll have to give up your title." Squirtle said matter-of-factly to Monty, who's face contorted into a mixture of shock, surprise and disgust.

"What? Why? The entire thing? Can't I just do away with the 'Captain' part?"

Squirtle shook her head. "'Exploring Rescue Team Pokémon Extraordinaire seems a bit...much."

Monty was appalled. "You want me to get rid of my beautiful-"

"Self-proclaimed!"

"-title because it seems _a bit much!? _I'll have you know I have used that name for a very long time!"

"Two days may seem like a long time, Monty, but really, don't kid yourself. Besides, you can keep your title when you're off work."

Monty held her gaze for a few seconds, before dropping it. "Fine." He pouted.

"Good, then...that wraps it up! You're in, Monty!"

"No, I'm not." Monty smirked. "I still have to pass the second phase of the Sanity Test."

"There's a second phase to the Sanity Test?" Coran asked, a blanket draped around his shoulders as he stumbled out of the guest room. "I thought it was just you talking to Pokémon to see if they'll maul your face off, as you so eloquently put it."

Squirtle gave him a warning glance. "Nobody's supposed to know about the second phase!" she hissed.

"Mauling faces, hm? Quite...barbaric, I must say."

"She said she's okay with face maulings, just not to her." Coran began laughing.

"Really? Squirtle! I'm stunned!"

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Coran?" Squirtle said firmly.

Coran took the hint. "Oh, yes. I have to...um...go shopping." He dashed out the door.

"He goes shopping?"

"No. He can't tell Oran Berries from Oren Berries. I wouldn't trust him to buy an apple."

"So that was an excuse. I see. Oh yes, don't I have to sign contracts to join?"

"Yes."

"So doesn't that mean you have to keep me even if I fail the Sanity Test?"

"..." Squirtle realized her mistake. "I'll have to fix that." She said flatly as she got the contracts out of her desk.

Monty hesitated to sign them. "Didn't I just point out that signing them now was against the Sanity Test?"

Squirtle shook her head. "You've already passed. I consider Faren Heights your first mission. You may be quirky, strange, and sometimes downright kooky, but you're definitely sane."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

* * *

Despite what Squirtle had said, Coran did indeed leave to go shopping, as he was paid earlier yesterday, and he had in quite the haul. He did not have a treasure bag yet (he had to get to that later) so he clutched the 3000 Poké in his hand. He considered going to Banette's Bazaar, but decided to explore the rest of Nuzlocke first.

Nuzlocke was a small city, but a big town. He walked down the main street, taking in all the sights. First of all, there were many Pokémon roaming the streets, but almost none were actually socializing. _Like New York_, Coran thought, before getting angry with himself. _What is New York!?_

There were many shops as well. At least ten. To be honest, he didn't know what they all did, but most of the shopkeepers were keeping to themselves. Coran decided to try a shop meant to look like something with...gears? He decided to give it a try. Heading inside, he saw everything had a metallic motif. The walls were painted to look like wires and steel, and there was a counter at the front with a menu. Was this a restaurant? A bit small, he thought. _Although, _he thought, _something small can still be a restaurant. Like an ice cream tr..._**_what is a_** **_truck?!_ **

"Hi! Hello!" Coran hadn't seen the Klang come up to the counter. "What can I do you for?" The small gear said.

"Well," Coran began, "I just want to know what this place is."

"It's...a link shop." The bigger one said. "I can...link moves up for you. It's...kind of hard...so we charge quite a bit."

"Linking? I'm not quite sure what you mean." Coran said, confused.

"It's when you use one move right after the other, lightning quick! BAM! POW!" The smaller gear cheered.

"So, you could link, say, Swift with Quick Attack, and you'd use both without missing a beat?"

"You've got it. But...be careful...if you can't use a move anymore...it'll delink and you'll have to...come back here again."

"Alright, sounds good, sounds good." Coran was beginning to get convinced. "Alright, I'll try it!"

"Alright, which two moves do you want linked?"

"Um, Frustration and...uh...p-punch?" Coran smiled weakly.

"You only...know one move? How do you manage that?"

Coran blushed a bright red, quietly apologized, and left, embarrassed.

* * *

"Which mission...which mission..." Monty trailed, looking at the bulletin board. He heard footsteps behind him, and turned around. "Ah, Coran! You're back from your...shopping trip." Monty slowed down, obviously shocked at what Coran looked like.

Monty could barely tell he was a Riolu, he was so weighed down with scarves, bags, berries, seeds and orbs. He staggered towards the building, gave a passing glance to Monty, and tried to explain. "I...I'm a sucker."

"Yes, that's the word I would use. How much Poké did you spend?"

Coran didn't answer the question. Instead, he said "I am in debt to about ten Pokémon around Nuzlocke. Don't talk to me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go on a mission to earn about 2000 Poké so I can pay off this scarf that makes me hungry."

He trudged inside the...business, and came out unladen of all the objects he had earlier. Grumbling, he ripped a sheet of paper off of Squirtle's Bulletin Board and went on his way. Monty wasn't sure what to make of this, but he decided to earn some Poké as well. He again looked over the job list, and saw one that seemed to fit the bill.

* * *

Squirtle was in her office, writing down in her little book all the Poké the business had spent these past few days. Closing the book, she decided to take on a mission so that she could fill the 2000 Poké sized gap in her profits. She put the book back in her desk, and sauntered out the front door, giving a passing glance to the board with all the threads on it. It was from the past owner, and she had no idea what to make of it. She'd have to get rid of it soon.

Coming to the bulletin board, she smiled as she saw Monty walk away, clutching a mission in his hand. _He knows what to do._ She looked over the board and saw something that caught her eye. The reward was 2000 Poké. She smiled. _Perfect._

* * *

**This is a short chapter, yes, and I'm sorry. But I'm gonna get another one up today. And that'll be fun. *smiles knowingly***


	11. The Definition of Futility

**This chapter is a bit of comic relief before things get serious.**

* * *

_**Chapter 10**_

_**The Definition of Futility**_

"Tricky Ruins, huh? Creative name." Squirtle said slowly, as she came to the entrance. She looked at the paper in her paw.

_Get it!_

Rank: B Dungeon: Tricky Ruins

I am Vale, a Sableye. Apparently at the end of the Tricky Ruins there is a  
delectable- I mean valuable gem. I would love to have possession of it for  
my collection, but the problem is, Tricky Ruins is, well, tricky. I need a smart  
Pokémon like you to solve the puzzles and get it for me! You'll be rewarded...

Reward: 2000 Poké + My eternal gratitude

"Hm. Well, better get started." She began walking into the South Entrance of the Tricky Ruins.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm stooping to a simple fetch mission..." Coran grumbled, clutching the mission paper in his hand. He read over it one more time.

_Get it!_

* * *

Rank: B Dungeon: Tricky Ruins

I am Vale, a Sableye. Apparently at the end of the Tricky Ruins there is a  
delectable- I mean valuable gem. I would love to have possession of it for  
my collection, but the problem is, Tricky Ruins is, well, tricky. I need a smart  
Pokémon like you to solve the puzzles and get it for me! You'll be rewarded...

Reward: 2000 Poké + My eternal gratitude

"Well, he's offering 2000 Poké, and he's one of the Pokémon I owe, so I guess his eternal gratitude would persuade him to call off the debt." Sighing, he headed into the west entrance of the ruins.

* * *

"Ah, I love exploring!" Monty sighed, looking up at the Tricky Ruins. He looked at the paper in his hand that detailed what he was to do. I believe I do not need to write it down, however, because you already probably know what's on it. He smelled the rustic air around him, and headed into the southeast part of the ruins.

The ruins themselves were indeed tricky. Already, there were three branching paths. Monty was glad there were no other conscience-melted Pokémon that were in this area, because he didn't feel very confident in his battling skills against steel-type Pokémon that apparently guarded this place. He decided to take the one down the center, because it probably lead to the center of the ruins, where the treasure probably was.

Unfortunately, he ran into a wall that was blocking his path a few minutes later. Frustrated, but not deterred, he looked for another path, not noticing a button on the wall. He accidentally stepped on a switch on the ground, and another wall fell down, blocking his way back. He groaned.

* * *

Coran grumbled as he came to a room with two splitting paths. Not looking where he was going, he stepped on a red tile, which cut the room in half with a wall in between. Startled, but reasoning he could still get out, he kept walking along the combination of steel and rock, coming to the only path he had access to at the moment.

* * *

Squirtle came to a small room that seemed cut in half by a wall. She didn't know what to make of it, but she kept going, into the doorway leading to the next hallway.

* * *

Monty noticed a green button on the side of the wall. Interested, and reasoning that only red buttons are dangerous, he pressed it, and the wall in front of him swiftly parted in half and slid into the walls on either side of him. Happy, he kept journeying into the ruins.

* * *

Screaming, both Squirtle and Coran jumped in surprise as a wall slid in from the left and right, respectively. With his way blocked, Coran reasoned that the wall that smashed the other one was weak, so he used Strength from the HM that he had bought. The wall broke, and he kept advancing.

Squirtle, however was stuck in the room, waiting. She sat on the ground, at a loss of what to do. Suddenly, the cold metal walls started rumbling. _What's happening?!_

Then the floor dropped out from under her.

* * *

Monty, happy with the progress he was making, went down some stairs, and came to a small room. He didn't know what to make of it, but he looked up and down to investigate for that rare gem. He saw a large arrangement of buttons in a vertical fashion. He decided to experiment, and pressed the lower one. Steel walls slid into the doorway, trapping him into the small room. Slightly scared, he waited. He felt the ground rumble, and the room quickly fell. He heard a scream above him, and suddenly the room stopped, and the doors slid open. Monty walked out of the room, hoping he'd never have to go there again. He heard another scream coming from a long ways above him, and he began to feel very unsure about this whole thing.

* * *

Coran kept smashing through walls with his Strength, marveling at how useful this move was here. He finally came to a clearing, and lo and behold, he saw it! There was a sparkling green emerald the size of his closed fist, sparkling in the only natural light in the room. It was the gem Vale wanted! He jumped for joy, and went to grab it, not noticing the obvious warning signs of it being a round room with a lone pedestal holding the only treasure in the room. The walls shook, and Coran looked around, confused. Suddenly, he shrieked as his head went aflame as fire erupted from the walls of the room. _How am I going to get out of this!?_ Quickly, he rolled under the pillars of flame, and rolled into a doorway, which slid shut behind him. Suddenly realizing he might have dropped the gem, he looked around for it, only to have his heart jump into his throat as he saw a greenish dusty residue under the wall that had slid shut. Growling in anger, he kicked a nearby boulder, which slid across the floor because of his Strength and fell down a long, dark shaft. Coran looked down the shaft carefully, hoping nothing that mattered was down there. His number one priority now was to find a way out of this forsaken place.

* * *

Squirtle was shaking from the horrific experience of falling with the floor right below you. Her legs ached from the landing, and she was unsettled now, as she heard footsteps below her. Seeing a small black door the size of a small box in the wall, she decided she had no other options and began crawling through. She hated it. Squirtle felt strange tingles all throughout her body as she squeezed herself through the tight passage. Left and right turns were everywhere, but at least the path didn't branch. She came out into a medium sized circular room with a lone pedestal in the center. Resting on this pedestal was a bright flaming red ruby. It was the biggest one she had ever seen in her life! She dashed up to get it, but before she could even get close, she heard a ghostly wail above her, and rumblings of something falling. Backing up a bit, she watch helplessly as a giant boulder crushed the ruby to smithereens. Groaning quietly, she tried to convince herself that sitting here in her own self pity was not the best course of action at the moment. _No, _she decided, _the best course of action is getting the heck out of here._

* * *

Monty was making great pace, but to where, he had no idea. He had heard an earth-shaking thud above him, but he had been hearing scary noises the entirety of this journey, so they did not surprise him anymore. Walking through the dark hallways, he heard more footsteps above him. He came to a circular room with a lone pedestal in the center. Oddly enough, there was nothing on it. Monty gave a bit of a huff, before falling over from the earth-shattering quake coming from above him. Dust rained down from the ceiling, and he yelled in surprise, covering his head from bits of falling debris. He squeezed his eyes shut, afraid of what might happen to him.

When he opened them he was faced with a Bronzong.

* * *

Coran began seeing light shining off the corners of the now wet metal. He had heard rain from the top of the ruins, so he knew he was getting close to the exit. He kept following the wetness of the rocks and metal of the ruins, and came to another door. Going through it, he absentmindedly noticed there was no ground underneath his feet before plummeting into a river.

"What the heck?! What's a river doing in ru-" Coran began before having his mouth filled with rushing water. He was tossed and turned like a ragdoll in a washing machine, hitting the (strangely flat) bottom and sides of the river as he was rushed along to whatever destination these twisted relics had in mind. His lungs screaming for air, he tried swimming up, but ended up smashing his head on the bottom of the riverbed, before being propelled to the left side. With the force of a large wave, he hit a wall, and the water was suddenly still. Groggily getting up, shaking the water from his fur, and shaking the pain out of his head, he continued onward as the water whirlpooled down a drain in the ground behind him.

* * *

Monty didn't know what to do. Was it hostile? It was a Steel-type, so he wouldn't be too good in fighting it.

"What are you here for?"

"Um, well..." Monty raced for an excuse in his mind. Vale made it sound like the gem was this ruins' greatest treasure, so if this Bronzong was a guardian, he couldn't go flat out and tell him. "I'm exploring."

"You are not telling the whole truth. Why?"

_Well, that facade didn't last very long... _"I'd tell you, but then you'd have to kill me."

"I solemnly swear not to act on violence upon your confession." Bronzong's loud voice rang through the chamber.

Monty gulped. He had no excuse now. "I was looking for a very valuable gem. Not for myself, of course! It is for someone else."

"A...gem?" Bronzong seemed confused. "These ruins do not house gems of any kind."

Monty twitched. "I-I'm sorry?"

"Yes," Bronzong continued, "there are no gems here. I apologize that your search has been in vain."

_I failed my first mission. Squirtle is not going to be happy about this...My one chance to impress the employer, and I choose a flub job!_ Grumbling to himself, Monty quietly asked Bronzong if there was a quick way out of these ruins.

"Yes, there is. Look down." Bronzong commanded.

Monty obliged, then was suddenly soaked. When he raised his head, he was outside, being drenched in the torrential downpour. Normally, being a Grass type, this would not have bothered him. But with what he had gone through, it seemed more like a cherry bomb on top of a poisonous cake. Kicking himself figuratively, he began the long, wet, cold walk back to Nuzlocke.

* * *

Squirtle was stressed, to say the least. There was water above her, she knew that from the droplets leaking down through the cracks of the ceiling. She was wet, uncomfortable, and depressed. She wanted to get out as soon as possible, because she didn't know how much longer her sensitive ears could take the sound of roaring water. Suddenly, it all stopped, and the water became still. A circular hole opened in the ceiling, and suddenly, gallons upon gallons of water rained down upon Squirtle. She was a very, very strong swimmer, and was able to keep her head above water easily, but she was drenched, and the only exit to the room was now submerged under four feet of water. Vexed, she began swimming through the underwater hallways, holding her breath as long as she could. Eventually, after about thirty seconds, she came to some stairs, which meant there was an air pocket where she could take a breath. Coming to the pocket, she did so, and continued up the stairs. She saw a dim natural light, tinted red, shining off the bits of metal in the wall. She took this as a sign of dusk, meaning she had been in these ruins the entire day. Groaning, she walked outside, only to be re-drenched by rainwater. _I guess I'll have to work those profits out some other way, _she thought as she made her way back.

* * *

Coran, now the only one left in the ruins, was lost. Currently he was in a hallway made to look upside down. _I don't know who designed these ruins, but whoever did must hate people with vertigo._ But where did he go to now.

"AUGH! How do I get out of this place!?"

Suddenly there was a Bronzong in front of him.

"Another one?" It mumbled to itself, out of earshot from Coran.

"Don't hurt me!" Coran put his hands up to defend himself. He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them, he was no longer in the twisted hallway, but being soaked in the rain. Putting his hands and the corners of his mouth down, he began the long walk, along with the rest of the...business back to Nuzlocke.

* * *

Squirtle, Coran and Monty miraculously were able to make it back to HQ without seeing each other until the last minute so it didn't seem suspicious. Needless to say, most of them were not in the best of moods, so nobody talked. Squirtle and Coran were busy wringing the water out of their fur, and Monty was busy ripping up his request and chucking it into the trash bin.

"I'm heading home. I'll be seeing you tomorrow." He said, before mumbling, "If I can motivate myself to get out of bed..."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Monty, being the closest, opened it.

"Why so glum, chums?" A Chansey asked them.

"Wait, you're that..." Squirtle gasped.

"Chandelure?" Monty asked.

Coran was confused. "That's a Chansey, Monty. Not a Chandelure."

"It was a Chandelure! It's that one from Faren Heights!"

The Happiny (what?) looked at them, seeming cold and wet. "Can I come in?"

Squirtle, giving her (him?) a strange look, nodded to Monty, who let the strange Pokémon inside.

"Thank you. It is FREEZING out there. Anyway, let me introduce myself. My name is Mew."

* * *

**Some of you were confused about Chandelure/Chansey thing in Faren Heights. I hope this clears it up! If not, well...sorry, bro.**


	12. Bye Bye Beautifly

**Nana nana nana nana nana nana nana nana POPO! (It's the Ice Climbers. Get it? You were expecting Batman, but I said...nevermind.)  
By the way, if you're wondering why everyone's so casual around a legendary, its because some legendary Pokémon are treated normal in PMD, like Shaymin.**

* * *

**_Chapter 11_**

**_Bye Bye Beautifly_**

_The Happiny (what?) looked at them, seeming cold and wet. "Can I come in?"_

_Squirtle, giving her (him?) a strange look, nodded to Monty, who let the strange Pokémon inside._

_"Thank you. It is FREEZING out there. Anyway, let me introduce myself. My name is Mew."_

Squirtle, still kind of uncomfortable from letting a Pokémon into her establishment without a second thought. "Mew, huh? Well, nice to, uh, meet you."_  
_

"Why are you here?" Coran said angrily, earning a stone cold look from Squirtle.

"To get out of the rain, and to...tell you something." The Mew, now in her true form, said.

"That's cryptic." Coran fumed, still a bit ticked off from the Tricky Ruins.

Mew gave him a look, then turned back to Squirtle. "You remember what I told you about the consciences of Pokémon melting, right?"

"Right," Squirtle nodded, not sure where this was going.

"And you also know about the Drasil and its wilting roots?"

"Yes, I do." Monty confirmed, just as unsure as Squirtle.

"Well, something you may not know is these things stayed in balance for a long time because they had guardians keeping them that way. The Drasil tree had Xerneas, the Life Pokémon watching over it, while the good will and intentions of Pokémon had Yveltal, the Destruction Pokémon watching over them."

"The Destruction Pokémon? Is that really the best guardian for souls and good intentions?" Coran countered.

"He oversees destruction, and ensures it doesn't run out of control. Or at least...he did." Mew lamented.

"What do you mean, 'he did'? What are you trying to say?" Monty asked.

"Xerneas and Yveltal are both gone."

Coran, not really understanding the gravity of the situation, sighed. "What does that mean?"

Squirtle turned to him, exasperated. "That's why the Drasil is wilting, Coran. That's why more and more bad Pokémon are popping up. But," she pondered, "why are you telling us?"

"A few reasons." Mew stated simply. "First of all. Coran, you are the first Pokémon I've seen whose conscience has made a full recovery from being wiped. It's quite amazing, actually. Mostly, Pokémon whose conscience melts has only a shred left, only inhibiting them from using Giga Impacting their own hand. Coran, however, seems to have his full conscience back.

"Second of all, most of the Pokémon I've met are either too far down the path, so to speak, or simply don't care. They believe that the Drasil is fine, and the conscience melting is just 'kids today'. You, however, seem genuinely interested in it. You wouldn't have come to Faren Heights if you had been apathetic about the entire thing. So that tells me you are at least interested in helping."

"Helping? Helping with what?" Monty exclaimed.

"I need someone to help me find what's wrong with Xerneas and Yveltal. I think there's something fishy going on about this whole thing. I want to find out what this stench is coming from, and I want to Febreze it to death!"

"Febreze? What's that?" Squirtle asked.

"Air freshener," Coran explained, "in an aluminium can. You spray it, and it gets rid of bad smells."

Squirtle just stared at him in confusion.

"Anyway, would you be interested in helping? Of course, you wouldn't be doing it alone. I'd be helping you. And trust me, I'll be a big help."

Monty was still skeptical. "And what makes you think that?"

Gible simply smiled. "I'm a shapeshifter."

Monty was no longer skeptical. "That's...that's, uh...impressive."

Coran, however, was. "If you're so powerful, and can shapeshift, why do you need our help? With the apparent life force of this world, I mean."

"I had stated the reasons already, Coran." Mew, back to normal, huffed.

"So," Squirtle started, "does this mean you want to join the team?"

"Well, yeah, I guess."

"Alright...Um, if you'd follow me..." Squirtle, a bit dumbfounded of suddenly accepting a stranger into the team, led Mew into the side room with the contracts and such.

* * *

"It's getting worse, you know." Marvin sighed, looking at the grey sky. Just as he had an excuse to be happy because of the good weather, he has to hear about Pokémon becoming bad apples. Just his luck. Presently he was lamenting to a Beautifly who honestly couldn't care less. "You never know when it's going to hit, either. And once it does, you're helpless. Your control just goes out the window, and there's nothing you can do about it. It's sad, really."

"How interesting..." The Beautifly drawled, trying to get away from this Breloom who seemed to insist on babbling to someone else about depressing things.

"And that's not the worst part. Earlier today, I tried to find my special spot in Overgrown Forest, only to find the paths completely changed when I entered. I couldn't find it. It was perfect, too. Just the right amount of dampness...but when you love something, there's inevitably going to be some Pokémon who enjoys other Pokémon's sadness, and he's going to come along and destroy it."

"Yes, I see what you mean..." The Beautifly was getting tired of this Breloom.

"The guardians are really slacking off. I don't like the way they treat common Pokémon like us. Just because there's more than one of us, they think we're disposable. Well, under normal circumstances, one would rise up against something like this. But I honestly can't be bothered. I'm not going to do anything worthwhile anyways, so I might as well do nothing worthwhile alive."

"Wait, what do you mean, guardian-HRK!" Beautifly winced in pain, and began writhing on the ground.

Breloom simply looked down on the Beautifly in disgust, mumbling, "Seriously...another conscience melting, right in town. It's only a matter of time before I become a mindless slave, too. Might as well hide in my house until I lose my mind."

* * *

"Well, she passed all the tests, and signed her life away-I mean, she signed the contracts."

Monty raised an eyebrow. "She can't have passed all the tests yet-"

Squirtle stopped him dead in his tracks with a simple glare.

"Well, Mew, it's time for you to pick your first mission. Of course, since it's your first one, I'll be accompanying you..." Squirtle started as they walked out the door. Suddenly, there was a scream.

"Aah! It's after me! It's after-" Someone screamed before being interrupted by a screeching sound. Squirtle and Mew, horrified, saw a Wynaut collapse in front of a building, lying still from the Bug Buzz attack. Looking to see what had caused such a deafening noise, only to see an enraged Beautifly dashing towards them at top speed.

"Is that...?" Squirtle trailed off, looking worriedly at Mew. She nodded grimly.

"He's gone. We have to take him down."

"Is that really necessary?"

The Beautifly rammed into Squirtle, causing a jolt of pain to course thoroughly around her front side. Wryly, Mew gave a wink. "You tell me."

Squirtle threw the Beautifly off of herself, and used Swift. Mew, still in her original form for some reason, followed it up with Mega Punch. The Beautifly screeched, making Squirtle wince in pain.

"What's going on out here?" Monty yelled, only to lay eyes on the furious Beautifly. It locked eyes with him, and Monty, knowing what Bugs did to Grass types, slowly backed his way into the building again.

"Monty! _Oof!_" Squirtle yelled before being slammed in the gut by the Beautifly again. "C'mon! You can't even use Tackle, you stupid bug!"

"My Mega Punch isn't doing too much good, Squirtle!"

"Shapeshift or something, then!"

"I can't when I'm under stress!"

"You've got to be kidding-_o__of!_" Once again, Squirtle had the wind knocked out of her by the psychotic butterfly.

"Uh...here, I'll try this. Ancient Power!" Mew threw purple-glowing rocks toward the Beautifly, and they made direct contact. He was down.

Both Squirtle and Mew were panting, looking at the paralyzed body of the Beautifly. Mew looked at him with sadness. Squirtle saw this and questioned it.

"What's with the pity?"

"It's conscience is gone. There's no going back." Mew said sadly. "This is what happens when you don't make a full recovery."

"It's _dead?!_" Squirtle stammered, horrified.

"No, but it might as well be. Without a conscience, it becomes a machine, guided by...something. That's why it attacks. The conscience acts as a sort of prevention for this voice. But now that consciences are...disappearing, the voice has better control. When the voice stops, like it has for this Butterfree...Well, the lights are on, but nobody's home, so to speak."

"So...it's done for?"

Mew solemnly nodded her head. "I'm sorry, Squirtle. There's nothing we can do."

Sullenly, quietly, Squirtle walked back into the business, as if in a dream. She nearly floated past Coran and Monty, ignoring their questions of what the heck had happened out there. She slowly slid into her bed, slid the covers over her head, and slid her eyelids shut. It was only now, away from everyone else, that Squirtle allowed herself to cry.


	13. It's Okay to Cry

**Warning! Incoming feels! (As if the title of the chapter didn't tip you off about that...)**

* * *

**_Chapter 12_**

**_It's Okay to Cry_**

"Mew, what's wrong with Squirtle? She hasn't left her room in a while." Coran asked, concerned.

Mew didn't turn to look at Coran, still staring at the door. "She's been faced with what happens when a Pokémon's conscience melts. I think it's best if she's left alone for a while.

Monty came in through the front door. "Coran? I have a-" He stopped. "Is Squirtle still in her room?"

"What does happen when a Pokémon's conscience melts, anyways?"

"I-I don't want to talk about it." Mew stuttered. She tried to change the subject. "What were you saying, Monty?"

"Oh, right. Coran, I have mail for you." Monty handed him an envelope.

"Hm." Coran opened it, and read its contents.

_Dearest Coran..._

_It has been a while since you've last seen me, hmm? And such a lot has happened  
in the world since you have, what with the Drasil, and the bad Pokémon showing  
up...Well, I might as well get to my point. I need someone who is a good listener  
(you!) to, well, listen to me talk about something. I'd talk to myself, but it's not the  
same. If you're not busy, would you come to my house by Dusky Beach Cape?  
Ah, why am I telling you where it is...you know, right? (Right?) I'll be waiting!  
_

_PS: I've got a new tea recipe if you're interested, too!_

_~Phari_

"Phari wants to see me again? Well...Squirtle wouldn't mind, would she?" Coran looked back at the locked door to Squirtle's room. Monty simply nodded, while Mew was still hovering at the foot of the door. Without a single word, and a solemn glance, he left for Dusky Beach.

* * *

_Knock knock knock. _Coran brought his fist away from the huge wooden door. Again he heard footsteps from behind the door. "I'll be right with you!" Phari's voice rang out from behind the door, before it was opened slowly. At first, Phari looked at her eye level, before looking down at Coran. "Oh, you're here! Welcome, come in!" Coran nodded his head in thanks as she stepped aside to let him through the door.

"You caught me by surprise, Coran. I didn't know when you'd have gotten the letter; the post is so unreliable these days..." Phari scoffed as she walked into the kitchen. She began brewing what looked like tea.

"Is that the new recipe?" Coran asked, looking up at the counter at least a foot higher than him. He felt like a five-year-old watching his mother make cookies. _Agh! There I go again! Cookies?!__  
_

"Yes. It's not actually that new, but you haven't tried it yet. I think. Honestly, I'm not sure why I called it new, you've probably drank green tea _and _orange pekoe before..."

"Actually, I've never drank tea before coming here." Coran confessed.

"Oh, well, this will be the first time you'll drink Green Tea, then! Cappy found the recipe for me, right before he...went adventuring." Phari seemed a little less perky. "Actually, that's a funny story...full of mythical creatures, and danger!" Phari smiled again. "But...that's not what I wanted to talk about."

"What did you want to talk about, Phari?"

"Just a second...let me finish brewing the tea. I can't talk proberly without...see? Ha ha ha!" Phari laughed.

* * *

Sitting across from one another on opposite sides of what looked like a coffee table (_not again!_), Phari handed Coran his Green Tea carefully over the wooden surface.

"Here, use the saucer, too. I don't want it spilling, alright?" Phari implored. Coran simply nodded.

"Now then...first of all, thank you for coming, Coran. It was very kind of you. But...I need someone's advice. If you have been in a state of denial for a long time about something you want to be true very bad, even though you know it isn't, is it healthy to keep thinking that way?"

Coran put his head in his hands. She was obviously talking about Cappy. "How long have I been in this state of denial for?" Coran asked her, sipping his green tea, before setting his head back against the chair, impressed with the taste.

Phari looked down at her tea remorsefully. "...Fifteen years."

Coran's heart sunk. He couldn't believe Phari had put up with this hope of her true love coming back for a decade and a half. He has barely been alive that long! _How did I- No. Not_ _now. _"Well...how sure am I that it's a false hope? And is it hurting me to believe it?"

"Almost entirely sure, and yes. Truly, deeply, yes." Her eyes were tearing up, her voice choked.

"I think you should..." Coran stopped. This was her husband, her love, her sweetheart. Could he really tell her that he's dead? That he's never coming back? Could he carry that weight on his shoulders? Could _she?_

"It's okay, Coran. I know. He's...gone." Phari sat still as a rock.

"What happened to him, Phari?" Coran asked quietly and carefully.

"He was a true gentlemon. We existed to make each other happy. He did so many nice things for me...and I decided I wanted to do a nice thing for him, too. He had always wanted to be an explorer. The thought of discovering something new excited him in a way I never understood. I didn't want him to leave. I wanted him to stay by me his entire life. We could be together as long as we lived.

"But I couldn't keep him on a leash like that. He had given me so much...it was time I'd give him something back. So when he heard about 'gold in yon hills', so to speak, he jumped at the chance, and...I did too. I didn't go, of course; it was too rigorous a journey for someone like me. I was never as fit as him...couldn't even keep up on the walks we took together. I...I let him go. The look on his face when I said yes was payment enough. We said goodbye at the dock he built. He sailed away, waving to me for as long as I could see him, then he was off, exploring the unknown, living his dream. He had promised me he'd be back before...before I knew it. But now...He's been gone...fifteen years...and I...Oh, Coran, I don't know anymore!" Phari burst into tears, and tucked her head into her knees, spilling her tea all over the hardwood floor below. Shoulders heaving, Phari finally accepted that Cappy wouldn't be coming back.

Coran didn't know what to say. Fifteen years' worth of denial, anger, bargaining, guilt and acceptance was crashing into a heap in front of him. "...Phari?"

Phari's sobbing quieted down slightly, signaling she had heard him.

"I can't say I know what you're going through. But...what I can say is I wish I had what you have. I'm...I'm not from here, and I don't know where my family is, or even knows if I'm gone. I've been gone for a long time, and I've thought about them a lot; what life must have been like, living with them. But the part that hurts the most...is the fact that it doesn't. I don't feel homesick. I don't miss them. And that tells me something scary about what I had. It...it wasn't special. To see you here, mourning so intensely over someone...you loved Cappy so much. It shows. And the fact that I haven't shed a tear about my family...I'm just left to wonder what that means. Why can't I love them the way you love Cappy? Why can't I miss them? Why do I feel nothing when I think of them? Why do I feel like they aren't really my family?! What am I doing _wrong!?_" Coran shouted, tears coming from his eyes as well. Phari sat there, shocked by his outburst.

Coran realized how loud he was. "I-I'm sorry. I should be listening to you. You shouldn't have to-"

"No. You've made me realize something important, Coran. Accepting that Cappy's gone...that's a good thing. I loved him. Mourning him is good, because you're right. It means we had something special. And not everyone can claim that. I should be thankful of what I've had with him..." Phari took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Thank you, Coran. Thank you for listening. I...excuse me, but I need to be alone right now."

Coran nodded silently, got up from his chair, and walked out the door, leaving Phari by herself to mourn and reminisce.

* * *

Dusky Beach was still as breathtaking as ever, and the sand still felt pleasantly warm underneath him, but Coran didn't notice them. He was too busy thinking about what he had said to Phari. He hadn't realized it until it came pouring out of his mouth, but it was true. He didn't miss his family, even though he remembers them. Not specific details, but that shouldn't matter, should it?

He stopped at the entrance back into Nuzlocke. It was right by the coast, where the beach became rocky. Looking back across the beach, his eyes rested on the horizon. Where were they now? Are they thinking of him?

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

It was. The sun was the biggest Coran had ever seen it, and the waters were painted different hues by the giant burning orb. There were no clouds this time obscuring the view of the line separating sea from sky. He turned towards the source of the voice.

He saw Squirtle, resting on a rock a bit above him.

"I always used to come here as a kid, and just...watch. Whenever things didn't go right...I just watched the sun set on the waters. It's beautiful, isn't it?" She said again.

Coran stared at her in disbelief. "You're-you're out of your room."

"Really? This isn't my room?" Squirtle whipped her head about wildly, a look of bewilderment upon her face, before being replaced with one of good humour.

"Sorry." Coran scratched the back of his head.

"It's a good place to think about hard thoughts. It's quiet. Almost as if nobody else is here. You have some hard thoughts on your mind, don't you?"

Disbelief ran rampant through Coran's conscious mind. "How-how did you-"

"I've seen that look in these waters a lot, Coran. I know that look when I see it."

Coran returned his gaze to the wavering watery expanse in front of him.

Squirtle did, too. "...Do you want to talk about it?" She said quietly.

Coran instantly opened up, telling her all of his concerns about his family, and his lack of empathy for them, or if he really remembers them at all.

Squirtle was completely silent for what felt like a long time. "Do you want to know why I'm named Squirtle, Coran?"

Coran put on a look of confusion, failing to see what this had to do with his problem. Nonetheless, he was curious, so he nodded.

"I've never told anyone this before, so you better keep your trap shut about it...but..." She sighed, then continued. "Coran, I'm an orphan. My parents both died when I was a little kid. I was found by Margaret, an Audino who ran an orphanage, as luck would have it. I was loved and cared for there, but...I saw a lot of my friends get adopted by Pokémon, and going home to families. Every day in that orphanage, I was reminded I didn't have one. And then I did.

"A family of two Blastoises and a Wartortle came in. They saw me, and...they adopted me into their family. They were all Water types. I was Normal, and it bothered me so much. They knew. They gave me a name. I didn't have a name other than Eevee since my parents died at my birth, so they gave me a name. It was to help me feel more at home. It didn't work that well, but it made me feel better.

"One day, I got sick of it. I walked out of our home, determined not to come back until I had a Water Stone, so I could evolve into Vaporeon and impress my family. I...I was away for three days, trying to find one. I finally did. I didn't want to evolve yet, though. I wanted to wait until they saw me with the Water Stone. When they did...they did something I never expected.

"They scolded me for all they were worth. 'How could you even think of doing that?' 'Running away from home? You're better than this, Squirtle!' After calming down, they told me that living there was temporary. Evolving was permanent. They could not think of anything worse they could do to me by throwing eight ninths of my life away by inactively pressuring me to evolve into Vaporeon. I broke the water stone in two that day. I always keep one piece with me.

"I don't miss my family, either, Coran. But it's because I know I love them, and I know they love me. And there's nothing I can do to change that. That's what families do, Coran. It's unconditional love. Cherish your family, Coran. Especially if you've got a good one."

With that, Squirtle hopped off the rock. "I'll see you back at the business, Coran." And she began to walk off towards Nuzlocke.


	14. BONUS: It's Nothing Personal

**This chapter takes place before the end of Chapter 12.**

* * *

_**BONUS CHAPTER**_

_**It's Nothing Personal**_

"I'm not entirely sure how doing missions is helping solve the mystery of the conscience problem and the Drasil issue." Monty told Mew.

She put her hands on her hips. "It's not. But if I'm gonna stay here, I'm going to pull my own weight. And to do that, I need to do missions. Plus, ah...I don't really have any leads right now, so I'm really just wasting time."

Monty sighed. "Well, since Squirtle's...out of action, I guess I'll accompany you on your first mission." Monty nodded, as if agreeing with himself.

"Is that really necessary?" Mew murmured.

"It's company procedure! Or...business procedure!" Monty objected. _What is the difference between a company and a business, anyway? _Is _there a difference?__  
_

Mew relented. "Alright, fine. But I choose the mission, okay? I don't want you choosing an A rank or something when I'm not ready for it."

"That's alright by me, Mew." Monty still wasn't sure about Mew. _Ah, what am I fretting about? Squirtle's good at what she does. And what better way to get to know a Pokémon by going on a mission with them?...Alone?_ Monty shivered.

"Alright, I've chosen one." Mew called from outside. Monty followed the call, and Mew handed over the sheet for Monty to review.

_Competitive Prices?_

Rank: C Location: Mountain Market

My name is Banette. I run the well-known Banette's Bazaar in Nuzlocke. Chances  
are you've shopped there before. Anyways, I've been hearing about some shops  
around here that are trying to steal my thunder. They're opening up shop in some  
strange places...anyways, all I want you to do is to go to one of these shops, note  
the prices, and tell them to me. Couldn't be easier. Unless, of course, you made the  
prices up. But don't do that, please. I'd do it myself, but the problem is that I'm too  
busy getting more and more valuable and useful items for my valuable customers.  
If you do this for me, I'd be really grateful.

Reward: 3000 Poké + Banette's Bazaar Membership Card

"Well, well, well! That's quite a reward!" Mew gasped. "3000 Poké!"

Monty shrugged, and smiled. "Yes, Banette is Nuzlocke's local millionaire. He has a lot of Poké to throw around, and...Hold it, does that say 'Banette's Bazaar Membership Card'!?" Monty exclaimed.

"Well, yeah." Mew looked at the reward listing, and it indeed said that.

Monty gaped. "This is a good choice, Mew. This is a very good choice. Do you know what that Membership Card does?"

"...No."

"Banette's Bazaar has these hidden sales that only members know about...and these sales are very, _very_ good sales. If we get this, our entire business can get items dirt cheap!"

"Let's not waste any more time here, then! Where's Mountain Market?" Mew asked.

Monty was about to answer, then realized he couldn't. "I don't know. I guess we could ask Squirtle where it...oh, right."

"Why don't we ask Banette?"

"Right."

* * *

"Hello, and welcome to Banette's Bazaar!"

"Banette?! You're actually in your store!?" Monty blurted, before covering his mouth, realizing the presence of the word 'actually' made the sentence rude.

"Monty!" Banette exclaimed. "It's good to see you! What do you have in mind? Anything I can get you?"

"Actually, yes." Mew interjected. "We have this." She held out the flyer.

"Ah, yes!" Banette's eyes lit up in recognition. "You're taking on my trouble! Good for you, then!"

Monty scratched the back of his head. "There's a problem, though. We don't really...know...where Mountain Market is."

Banette laughed again. "All the better then, no? Means you can't shop there!...Though, I suppose you'll have to. Alright, I'll tell you, on your sworn promise you won't spend a single Poké there."

"We promise." Mew and Monty both professed.

"Alright." Banette leaned in closer, making sure no eavesdroppers could hear the location of his competitors. Whipsering, he said, "It's by the foot of Mt. Maelstrom. Again, don't spend a single Poké there, or..." Banette's eyes grew cold. "I'll have your heads." Leaning back, he laughed heartily again, leaving Monty and Mew to exchange glances nervously, wondering if he was actually serious or not.

"Okay, we're off, then." Monty said slowly.

"Hold on!" Mew hissed. "Shouldn't we take something to write down prices on?"

"Good thinking. We'll stop by the business, get a notepad or something, and then go to Mt. Maelstrom's Mountain Market."

* * *

Mt. Maelstrom towered over them like a menacing skyscraper, almost looking as if it was about to fall down on top of them.

"Thank Arceus we don't need to climb it, eh, Mew?"

Mew simply frowned. She seemed upset.

Monty frowned as well. "I-is something wrong, Mew?"

Mew jumped, as if waking up from a dream. "Oh, no. Everything's fine, Monty. C'mon, let's find that shop."

Monty nodded in agreement, and they set off around the foggy foot of Mt. Maelstrom. Because of the weather, Monty became quite paranoid, thinking any shape to be some sort of hostile Pokémon. Mew, on the other hand, seemed very relaxed. She floated along, not bothering to change into a different form for preparedness.

"Y-you don't think we're going to run into any...company, do you?" Monty shivered. The fog's moisture was clinging to his skin, making him colder than he liked.

"Nah," Mew dismissed the thought. "there was a gang of pick-pockets here a while back, but they moved their HQ somewhere else. All that should be here is the Mountain Mart now."

Monty looked up at the mountain again. "A bit of a strange place for a convenience store, don't you think?"

Mew simply shrugged.

Eventually, both of the travelers saw a bright, fluorescent light cut through the fog like HM01 through small trees.

"Do you think that's it?" Mew wondered.

Monty smirked. "Do you know any other convenience stores at the foot of Mt. Maelstrom?"

"Good point."

* * *

"Welcome, welcome! Welcome to Mountain Mart!" A Machoke cheered as Monty and Mew entered through the front doors. "If you need any help, come see me, okay?"

Monty looked around. It was a strange place. The floor felt like it was made of polished stone, the walls seemed to be made of the same material, except for a part in the back, where there were glass doors filled with the same lights that line the ceiling, giving off an eerie, flickering, unnatural light. Shelves divided the store into strips, each of the shelves lined with brightly colored bags and cups of who-knows-what. All this, plus the unrelenting stare of the friendly Machoke behind the counter unnerved Monty. Mew seemed unconcerned as she whipped out the notepad.

"Whatcha got there, friend?"

Mew stopped in her tracks. _Uh-oh._ "Um, a notepad!" Mew laughed nervously.

"What do you need a notepad for?"

"I'm an...uh...artist. I sketch stuff that uh...inspires me. And your store _really _inspires me." Mew nodded pseudo-sincerely.

"She's really good." Monty added.

"Really? Because to me, it doesn't look like a drawing. It looks like numbers. Care to explain that, friend?" The Machoke smiled again, though both that and the word 'friend' seemed to take on a new meaning with his new tone.

"Um...It's a new trend. Number art. Yep." Mew quipped.

"Really catching on with the young'uns." Monty, once again, added.

"Hm." The Machoke, still smiling, crossed his arms. "Well, you won't mind if I take a look at it then?"

"Well, it's still in the beta phase-" Monty began, before watching helplessly as the notebook was snatched from Mew's hands. She glared at Monty judgingly.

"Beta phase is for computer programs, genius." Mew muttered.

"These...they're prices. For my products. Care to explain that, _friend?_" Now the word seemed thick and venomous in Machoke's voice, like a doctor's syringe.

"Um...Well..." Monty faltered.

"You realize...that telling prices to competitors..." Machoke slowly walked over to the front doors, locking them with a _ka-chunk__._ "...is bad for business."

"Great. Turns out we've run smack dab into the Mt. Maelstrom Mountain Mart Mafia." Mew mumbled.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave just yet." Machoke's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm afraid I have to get going now." Mew implored.

"I'm just plain afraid!" Monty wailed.

Machoke smiled menacingly, slowly ripping the notebook in half, ignoring the protests from Mew. His palms loosened the grip on the binded paper, letting it fall to the floor.

"Hey! You can't do that!" Monty protested. "That's our property!"

"Trust me," The Machoke whispered, "you've got more problems than a torn notebook."

* * *

Mew and Monty were in quite the pickle, to say the least. They were tied back to back on a chair, ropes cutting into their wrists, with the malevolent Machoke stalking circles around the  
fold-out chair menacingly.

"Now, do you realize the consequence for your actions?" He said slowly, dragging out each word, savouring each syllable.

"Yes, I get tied to a chair. Can I go now?" Mew deadpanned.

"Oh, no, you cheeky little cat. You get much more than that." Machoke drawled.

"Mew!" Monty hissed. "I'm going to try something. Be ready to strike!"

Mew nodded her consent. Monty's hand began to glow green.

"What are you doing?" Mew asked, barely above a whisper.

"Leaf Blade. Hold the rope steady so it looks like we're still tied." Monty mouthed.

Monty's hand, now sharp as a dagger, started to push through the rope, tugging and pulling at it until it gave. _Snap!_ Monty cringed at the sound, waiting for Machoke to fly into a rage. Nothing happened. He hadn't heard. He steadied his hands on the rope, making it look like he was still trapped.

"On three," Mew whispered.

While Machoke was still oblivious to the two's plans behind his back, Monty slowly, but sharply tugged on the ropes two times.

"Three!" Monty yelled, and he was up. So was Cofagrigus.

"Come and get it, Machoke!" He yelled. Monty yelled too, but for a different reason.

"Aah! Mew!" Monty shrieked. "You've got to tell me if you're going to do something like that!"

"Sorry, I'm-" Cofagrigus began, before being interrupted by Machoke's fist. Or at least, he would've been, had he not been a Ghost type. "Fighting doesn't affect Ghost, doy!"

"Agh! Where'd the cat go!?" Machoke yelled in frustration before being hit by an Ominous Wind.

"Good job, Mew! Keep-AGH! HOT HOT HOT!" Monty shrieked in pain as Machoke used Fire Blast against him.

"Like that, huh? It's one thing that's exclusive here: TM38! Go tell that to your official!" Machoke laughed. He was quickly shut up, however, by the Hex Cofagrigus had put on him. Monty would've cheered him on again, but he was too busy finding water in those strange glass doors near the back to put out his burn.

"Hey! That's valuable merch! You'd better pay for that!"

"Yes, yes, right away-"

"MONTY!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Monty apologized, following it up with another Leaf Blade, except this time, it wasn't nearly as hidden.

"AGH! You're gonna pay for that, you snake!"

"I am _not_a snake!" Monty yelled in indignation, sending a Leaf Tornado his way, uprooting those beautiful shelves along its path of destruction.

Machoke was outnumbered. He knew it. He also knew it wasn't smart to keep up a battle he couldn't win. So, he ran. Out of the store, and into the fog. "I'll have my revenge, you meddlers!" He yelled.

Both Monty and Mew, back in her original form, were tuckered out. Sighing, they patted themselves on the back for a job well done as they headed back to Nuzlocke.

* * *

"Ah, yes! You return triumphant! What is the news?" Banette asked cheerfully.

"That Mountain Mart was a madhouse!" Mew declared.

"You seem to have a penchant for alliteration, Mew." Monty noted.

"It's a habit." Mew replied, before turning back to Banette. "When the cashier found out we were checking out prices, he tied us to a chair! One chair! For the both of us! We had to claw our way out of that cursed convenience store!"

"Oh, I'm sorry for that. But what of the prices? Did you get them?"

Monty and Mew exchanged glances, and remembered that they had left the torn notebook back at Mountain Mart. Which probably had their faces on wanted posters by now.

"We, uh...the cashier ripped up the notes we had on the prices. We weren't able to get them." Monty confessed.

"Oh, that's unfortunate. What's even more unfortunate is that I can't give you the reward unless I have those prices...so if you're willing to go back-"

"NO!" Mew and Monty both voiced the word at the same time.

"Alright. I'm sorry to bother you." Banette seemed almost sad.

Monty frowned. "No, I'm sorry I-_we _couldn't complete your request. I hope we can do better in the future."

* * *

Monty slumped down on a chair in the main room of the...business.

"It's too bad we failed your first mission, Mew. But there's always next time, right?" Monty offered.

Mew, surprisingly to Monty, didn't seem too unhappy about the whole thing. "Yeah, you're right. It was fun, though."

Squirtle came back through the front door, and gave a hard look at Mew. Mew stood there, frozen, not sure what to make of it.

"I'll help, Mew."

* * *

**Fun fact: Most of the alliterations (series of words starting with the same letter sound) in this chapter were accidental.**


	15. I Can't Even

**On a scale from one to even, I-I just can't! Sidenote, yay for Ace Attorney! Man, this chapter is going to be LEGEN...wait for it...**

* * *

_**Chapter 13**_

_**I Can't Even**_

Mew was nonplussed. "Are you sure? Even after the Beautifly?"

Squirtle nodded. "The way I see it, the faster I solve whatever is happening, the less number of Pokémon that have to die that way. So what do I have to do?"

Crossing her arms, Mew articulated each word slowly, as if picking each one carefully. "Well, I didn't have a lead earlier today, but I've been thinking. The Voice is a constant thing that's projecting to every Pokémon in existence, right? So whatever's causing it has to be mega powerful."

"Hold on, is this the Voice thing you were talking about when that Beautifly went all cuckoo?" Coran asked.

"That's the one." Mew confirmed. "And I think it's safe to assume that the Voice is telepathy. It's not cemented yet, but it's a pretty good guess."

"What does that mean, then?" Monty asked.

"Well, think about it. What kind of Pokémon is both telepathic and mega powerful?"

Coran and Monty were silent. Squirtle thought for a moment, then piped up. "Psychic Pokémon?"

Mew shook her head. "While a lot of Psychic-types do have telepathic powers, ones that can both project that power to every Pokémon, like ever, _and_ do that sort of thing 24/7 are hard to come by."

This time Monty offered something. "Legendary Pokémon. Many of them are telepathic, correct? And they have to be, erm...'mega powerful' to even be considered a legendary."

Mew smiled at Monty, and nodded. "So, what I think we need to do is hunt down legendaries, and find out if they're the Voice."

"Sounds good." Squirtle confirmed.

"I see a hole." Coran put in. "How exactly do we find out if they're the Voice or not?"

"Ah, there's the rub." Monty lamented.

Mew sat down on the ground, her head in her hands. "They'll tell us."

"HOLD IT!" Squirtle objected. "If they're the Voice, they'll deny it just as if they weren't!"

"The funny thing about Pokémon, or living things in general, is that they usually value their own lives over a bit of information. And as far as I can tell, this Voice slash concsience melting slash Drasil wilting slash Xerneas and Yveltal kidnapping thing is a One Mon Job. So that means, if they die, the entire thing is finished; which means they'd rather stop it and live, then not tell you and die."

"D-does that mean we have to nearly kill every legendary we come across? Isn't that a little cruel?" Coran winced at the thought of beating a legendary like Mew up, especially if they were innocent.

"This also counts on the fact that we can nearly kill deities, Mew. I feel like there's a flaw in your logic." Monty stated.

Mew looked from Coran to Monty. "Alright, what's your plan?"

"I uh, don't have one." Coran scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Mew, can't you use telepathy as well?" Monty implored.

"Um...well, yes, but..." Mew stuttered.

"Can't you read their mind yourself to see if they are the Voice?"

"..." Mew stared at him for a few moments, before jumping slightly. "Oh, yes! You're right! I can't believe I didn't think of that!" She laughed.

Coran crossed his arms. "Well, now that we've got that sorted out..."

"OBJECTION!" Squirtle yelled. "I don't think all the legendaries are just going to let you read their minds, just like that."

"Then that's when we fight 'em!" Mew punched her hand for emphasis.

Squirtle was concerned. She still wasn't sure if Coran, Monty, Mew and her could take down legendaries all by themselves, but at this point, they didn't have many other options. "Okay, fine. Who do we go after first, then? It's not like we just know where legendaries are."

"Actually, I do. Rotom. Lives in a mansion northwest of here. She used to help out humans with work. But then all the humans died."

"What!?" Coran screamed.

Monty and Mew gave him strange looks. Coran didn't notice. "All the humans _died?__!_"

"There was a virus a while back that didn't affect Pokémon. It ended up killing every human on this planet. We don't know if it's still here or not." Squirtle explained.

Coran shivered. Suddenly, the Pokémon world didn't seem as friendly.

* * *

"This is the mansion? This is where Rotom lives?" Monty asked, before looking up and gulping.

The front yard was filled with vines and overgrown grass, with a small trail leading up to the mansion itself. There were bushes on pedestals. Coran thought that they might have been shapes once, but time and neglect has made them look more like morning stars than hedges. There was a picket fence around the perimeter of the mansion, with peeling white paint and fallen beams. The gate at the front swung back and forth, even though there was no wind. The mansion itself was...cryptic. The wood that made up the walls of the mansion was rotting, and had fallen through in a few places, giving the only sneak peeks into the mansion, since all the windows were boarded up. These peeks, however, turned out to be for naught, because everything was pitch black within. The boards had an eerie white glow shining through the slats. The roof was a dark purple, and the threshold of the mansion, the structure holding the door was riddled with cobwebs.

"I'm going to say this now. I don't like this." Coran stated.

"I don't either. Really, I don't." Squirtle agreed. It was at that moment when they heard an eerie sort of cackle coming from inside.

"Heeheeheehee!"

"D-did you all hear that?" Monty shivered in fear. Everyone nodded.

"First a haunted meadow, then a frozen desert, then this? Why can't we all go someplace normal for once?" Coran complained.

"Hush. You got Dusky Beach, Coran. If that isn't relaxing, I don't know what is." Squirtle chided.

Mew clapped, then floated towards the door. "Alright, we're going in."

"I wanna go home!" Coran yelped as he was being nudged into the mansion by Squirtle. "This is not what I meant!"

As soon as they were inside, the door slammed behind them. "Oh, great. That is not a good sign."

A voice came from the outside of the door. "Hello? Why did you shut the door on me? This place doesn't scare me so much you have to _patronize_ me, you know!"

"Monty! Oh, sorry! I'll let you in." Mew laughed nervously as she tried to pry the door open. She sighed. "It's locked."

"Oh, it must be an omen. I'll just be heading back then, thank you very much-"

"Not so fast, Monty!" Squirtle commanded. "There's a tear in the wall of the mansion on the first floor. Climb into it that way, and we'll meet you there."

Coran smiled slightly as he heard a groan from the other side of the door. That smile melted faster than a Vanillite in lava once he felt a large wet muscle touch his back, sliding slowly up his body, and ending at his head. "Eep!"

"What is - " Squirtle turned around, and all Coran could see was the fact that her eyes were now as wide as saucers. He tried to turn around and look, but he couldn't move a muscle.

"S-Squirtle! I can't move! I think I'm paralyzed!"

"That's the least of your...problems..." Squirtle squeaked.

"What is behind me, Squirtle?" Coran said slowly.

"Monty! New plan. Get your butt over here!" Squirtle shouted to the door. No response. "Monty!"

"Don't worry, I've got it!" Mew yelled, before seizing Coran with Psychic.

"Mew! What are you-" Coran stopped speaking as soon as he saw what it was that ambushed him. It was a Haunter. With a huge, wet, thick, dripping, salivating tongue. It had licked Coran.

"Get him to some stairs!" Squirtle yelled to Mew as she ran alongside her.

"_Stairs?_" Coran asked incredulously. "What good are stairs going to do?"

"Don't worry about it." Mew explained through huffs as she exerted herself, carrying Coran's stiff body with her mind.

"...Stairs?"

"Over there, Mew!"

"I see them!"

Coran was thrown onto a sharp corner, and as soon as he landed, he regained his motion. "What the heck?!" Coran stood up shakily on his two legs.

"No time to be dumbfounded, Coran! We've got company!" Squirtle yelled in fear of the Haunter coming up behind them.

"No worries, I'll slay the spectre." Mew crossed her arms, and used Psychic again, but this time on the Haunter. She propelled it into the wall before it had time to become transparent, and instantly knocked it out.

"Well, that was...anti-climactic." Coran muttered.

"Monty? Are you inside yet?" Squirtle yelled down the stairs.

At first, there was nothing. Then a muffled "Squirtle?" came from the other side of the wall.

"Is that you, Monty?" Squirtle asked.

"Last time I checked." Monty shot back sarcastically. "It sounds like you're on the other side of this wall. Is there a door?"

"I was about to ask you that." Squirtle pressed her ear up to the wall.

Coran looked at her strangely. "Squirtle, who are you talking to?"

"Shh! I'm talking to Monty. He's on the other side of this wall."

"It's quite dark in this room. My eyes aren't used to the dark yet. I can't see my hands, let alone a door."

"Isn't there an opening from outside?" Squirtle yelled.

"Yes." Monty put simply.

Squirtle was about to ask why it was still dark, but then decided against it. "Alright. I'll try to find a way through. Coran and Mew, can you look for Rotom?"

"Can do!" Mew cheered.

"Wait, we're splitting up?" Coran asked.

"Yep."

"Seems so."

"Don't you guys watch any horror flicks? People who split up always die!"

"What's a horror flick?"

"What's a people?"

"Ugh. Fine, whatever. But don't blame me if you two suffer a horrible death." Coran relented, before following Mew up the stairs.

Turning back to the wall, Squirtle began searching for a door. She saw one on the other side of the room she was in. She ran over to it and opened it, then shouted inside. "Monty? Are you in there?"

"I see a light! Is that you, Squirtle?" Monty's voice yelled from the inky blackness.

Squirtle heard footsteps inching towards her. Closer...closer...she began to worry. It can't be this easy. "Wait! Stop!"

The footsteps halted. "What? Is there a problem?" Monty's voice came over, but it was still black, so Squirtle couldn't verify if it was a trap or not.

"Is that you, Monty?"

"Again, last time I checked, yes." His voice rang out clear. "What's wrong, Squirtle?"

She heard footsteps again. "Stop!" She screamed, her imagination getting the better of her. It drove her crazy that he was still hidden from her. She was a good listener, but night vision is where her eyes failed her. _Is that Monty? How can I be sure? What can I do?_

"Can I move now?" Monty's voice came to her. He can't be five feet away from her.

_Why can't I see him?!_ "Go ahead...but, super slow. I think there might be something in front of you.

"Squirtle...I have better night vision than you, and I can't see anything. How can you be so sure?" 'Monty' asked as his footsteps creaked on the wooden floor.

"I uh...heard springs."

"Springs?!" 'Monty' exclaimed.

"Uh, yeah. I think there's a hidden tile or something-"

"Squirtle?" Monty's voice rang out from up the stairs. "I've made it inside! Where are you?"

Squirtle and 'Monty' both froze.

"Who...are...you...?" Squirtle hissed, venom in her voice.

"Monty!" 'Monty' said indignantly.

"Who are you talking to, Squirtle?" The voice rang out from upstairs.

Squirtle's mind threatened to blow up. It couldn't take this. One was Monty, one was something that was probably going to kill her, being a Ghost type. She hated Ghost types. Her fear muddled her mind, made it so she couldn't think clearly.

"WHO IS MONTY!?" She screamed, stepping back slowly from the door.

"What are you talking about?" The voice upstairs rang out.

"Don't listen to it, Squirtle! I'm the real Monty!" The dark room spoke.

"Wait, is that me?" The stairs seemed to ask. "What the what?"

"'What the what?' I would never say 'what the what'! Squirtle, you know that!" The darkness spoke.

"STOP IT! NO, I DON'T!" Squirtle was ready to cry from the stress and fear that was latching onto her mind.

"Is there an imposter down there? Don't believe him, Squirtle!"

"...Squirtle. Remember what you told me at the front door?"

"NO!"

"Squirtle! Come up here, away from him!"

Dark Room Monty wasn't moving anymore. Squirtle couldn't see him yet, however, and it drove her mad.

"You told me to find the rip in the wall on the _first floor._"

Something in Squirtle's mind clicked. "Step out of the room. Slowly."

"I'm not in a room-" The voice upstairs began.

"SHUT UP, I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!" Squirtle shrieked.

Slowly, Squirtle witnessed Monty, the real Monty, walk out of the dark room.

"Is that you, Monty?"

"Take deep breaths, Squirtle. You look a mess."

"Squirtle! Don't talk to him! He could be in disguise!"

"Well, _you_ come down here, then!" Monty yelled angrily up the stairs.

"Alright...if that's what you want." The voice didn't bother hiding itself anymore. It wasn't Monty, Squirtle was sure of that. A lone, purple figure came lumbering down the stairs.

"Hello, my little morsels."

* * *

Coran and Mew were exploring upstairs. "So...do you know Rotom personally?" Coran asked, trying to make conversation with Mew.

"Nah. We never talked that much. For good reason, too."

"...What reason is that?"

"I hate the way she talks." Mew said simply.

"You hate the way she talks?" Coran was nonplussed.

Mew grimaced. "You'll see. Once we meet her, you'll see."

They explored the hallways, trying doors. Most were locked. They explored a few rooms, but all the ones they had seen were empty. Then, they came to a glowing hallway.

"Call me crazy, but I think Rotom is down here." Coran mumbled.

"What gave it away, the neon sign saying 'Rotom wuz here?'" Mew asked, turning to Coran.

"Wait, what?" Coran looked around for said sign.

"...Made ya look!" Mew laughed a bit.

"...We're in a scary mansion, and Mew wants to play 'made ya look'."

Turning down the hallway, Coran was faced with a sight that made his blood crawl.

The hallway was completely empty, except for one door at the end of it. This door had an unnatural static glow coming from the cracks within. There was an unnatural giggle coming from the other side of the barrier. Gulping, Coran slowly made his way down the hallway to the door against his better judgement. He looked towards Mew upon reaching the door. She put her paw on the doorknob and slowly opened the door.

"Hold it, Joji, there's some freaks at the door. Yeah, brb. 'Kay. Yeah, I can't. Literally."

* * *

The Gengar stalked towards the frightened pair of Pokémon, taunting them. "You came to the wrong neighbourhood, _friends._"

Monty wailed again. "He doesn't mean friends in a nice way, Squirtle! Not when he says it like that!"

"Why are you scared? I can't even hurt him!" Squirtle scolded.

"...But he can't hurt you, either!" Monty looked at her.

"I beg to differ." Gengar's voice taunted Squirtle's left ear, before she was socked in the cheek with a purple fist. "Sucker Punch, sucker!"

"Aah! Squirtle! Leaf Blade!" Monty's fist began to extend and glow green, turning razor-sharp. He lunged towards Gengar, only to hit the hardwood floor below.

"You should really announce your attacks _after _you perform them. Like so." His eyes began to glow pink, and he shifted his gaze to the helpless Squirtle on the ground. She dashed up the stairs, but started to slow down near the top. She reached the hallway above, and slumped to the floor. "Hypnosis."

His eyes widening in fear, Monty ran up the stairs, scooped up Squirtle, and knowing he was no match for this ghost, took off down the hallway.

"I know this mansion better than you, snake. I'll find you faster than you can blink..." Gengar's voice called from the walls.

* * *

"Coran, this is...Rotom."

Rotom was on a laptop, speaking with what looked like another legendary with a video call.

"'Jes a sec, Joji. Yeah, I'm _sorry!_ 'Kay. 'Kay! What do you geeks want?" Rotom huffed.

"Um..." Coran didn't know where to start.

Fortunately, Mew did. "You, Rotom, are under suspicion of influencing Pokémon in a negative way on a massive scale. You will surrender your mind for surveillance!"

"A bit much, don't you think?"

"I don't like Rotom."

"...Seriously? You're, like, telling me that I'm negative? Hold on. Just wait until Joji hears about this. She is gonna flip. Totes."

"Rotom!" Mew protested, but she was already talking to the legendary on the other side.

"Yeah. They totally busted into my room and told me I was depressed or something- what? Yeah, one's kinda cute. He's a sucker, though. He's got, like, 70 Reviser Seeds in his bag. Like, eww. Yeah. I can't. Literally. Yeah, he's literally an idiot. But he's super cute."

Coran gave Mew a confused look, before turning back to Rotom, who was sneaking a glance at him.

"OMG I AM LITERALLY DYING. He gave me the look. The _look,_ Joji. I am DEAD. DEAD. You are totally nitpicking me, Joji. Ya, I know, I'm a Ghost type. I'm not gonna- I'm not gonna change what I'm saying 'cause of a lumpin' type. Ain't nobody got time for that. Ya. Brbz, Joji, they want me to, like, surrender my mind or something. Ya. I'm like, under suspicion of murder or something. Ya, it's literally like CSI. No, they don't have the cool glowy thing."

"I hate Rotom." Mew grumbled.

* * *

"Coran! Mew!" Monty screamed, running back and forth through the pitch-black halls. Every few moments, Gengar's cackle would resonate through the mansion's empty walls, scaring the living daylights out of Monty. He was getting tired from carrying the dozing Squirtle in his arms. _Maybe I could just put her down? Wait, no! What am I thinking?_

* * *

"Ya. Brb, Joji. Totes unfair, imo. Ya. I-"

"ROTOM." Mew's voice was dripping with venom. "Get over here. 'Joji' can wait."

"Ugh, seriously, ew. It totes doesn't work when you say it. Sub-Zero said it way better."

"Wasn't that Scorpion?...Wait, what?" Coran shook his head in confusion.

"What." Rotom rolled her eyes.

"I told you already!" Mew yelled, exasperated. "I want to read your mind to see if you're the Voice!"

"The Voice? Seriously, that show sucks. I only watch Supernatural and Twilight. Hold up, gotta redo my make-up."

Rotom zapped away to who knows where.

"Get back here!" Mew screamed to the walls.

* * *

"I'm trying!" Monty screamed.

* * *

"Well...Rotom is...strange." Coran offered.

"Do you see why I hate her?" Mew huffed.

Coran crossed his arms. "Hate's a strong word."

"Not strong enough."

Rotom zapped back into the room, looking exactly the same as when she left. "'Kay, finished. Wait! Lemme take a selfie." Rotom took a small rectangular object and levitated it in front of her as she puckered her lips. Bringing it back, she scrunched her face up in disgust. "Ew. So ugly. The lighting is terrible. Wait, gotta make a filter...done. Now the description...'ew. look totes uggs in this pic. #nofilter #ugly #gross'. Done. 'Kay, what did you want?"

"I said it four times already!" Mew roared.

"Okay, I'm not gonna take that tone from you. Ask, like, nicely."

"UUGH!" Mew groaned.

"She just wants to make sure you're not a crazy psychopath who wants to make all the Pokémon kill each other."

Rotom turned to Coran and suddenly burst into a fit of giggles. Just like that, she was back to the laptop. "OMG I AM DEAD. JOJI I AM DEAD. I can't. He is literally proposing, Joji. Ya. He wants to go steady. I can see it already. I'm naming the kids Solaris and Raven Dark'ness. Ya, it's totes serious."

"Is she..." Coran trailed off.

"Yes." Mew growled.

"And does that mean..."

"Yes." She growled again.

"I can't even." Coran grinned.

Mew's eye twitched. "I can't take this. Psychic!"

Rotom suddenly involuntarily turned to face them with a bewildered look on her face. Mew read her mind faster than a flicker.

"AGH! She's not the Voice! This was wholly a waste of our while!" Mew roared again.

"Now what?" Coran asked.

The door burst open, and Monty, carrying a still sleeping Squirtle, dashed into the room with unprecedented fear.

"Get that creature away from me!" He screamed. Rotom's eyes grew as wide as saucers.

"OMG, Joji, another hottie in my room-"

"_Don't_ start that up again." Mew begged.

Monty slammed the door shut, only to witness Gengar pass right through. "End of the line, snake."

"Gengar! Seriously! I've had it with you peeps in my room! Lates!"

"But...Rotom! They're intruders!"

"Ya, but they're cute!" Rotom rolled her eyes as she floated out the door. With rotom not in the room, things instantly became awkward. Gengar wasn't following orders anymore, Mew was still fuming from the Rotom encounter, Coran was still blushing from the Rotom encounter, and Squirtle was napping peacefully.

"Ah, sorry about that." Gengar apologized. "You know the way out, right?"

* * *

"Well, that was a complete waste of our time." Mew grumbled.

Squirtle had woken up as soon as Monty headed down the stairs, and was now livid about the fact that a Gengar had put her to sleep. "Tell me about it."

"You don't even have a right to complain. You didn't have to endure Rotom."

"Was she really that bad?"

Mew and Coran nodded their heads violently.

"Well, what now?" Monty asked as they headed back through the front doors of the business.

"Business as usual, I guess, until we get another lead." Squirtle sighed. "I sincerely hope the next venture goes better than this one."

"I could not take Rotom for another minute," Mew grumbled.

"I couldn't even. I was literally dying." Coran smiled, only to have it falter under the stone-cold glare of Mew.

* * *

**...DARY! This chapter was so much fun to write. You don't even know. Also, longest chapter yet! Yay!**


	16. Do You Remember?

**Rememberance/Part of every life/numerous regrets/the art of passing time**

* * *

_**Chapter 14**_

_**Do You Remember?**_

"Well, well, well." The Serviper hissed. "If it isn't my _favourite _customer."

"Cut the formalities, Poicasso. I brought 5000 Poké."

"Hmm! Your debt is paid in full, Coran. I do so hope you enjoy your...Gold Ribbon."

"...Shut up."

Walking back towards the...business (seriously, Squirtle, get your act together), Coran grumbled to himself. "I'm so stupid! Why the heck do I need a GOLD RIBBON!?"

Many Pokémon turned their heads to look at him strangely. "It doesn't even do anything! It's just _pretty!_ And I fell for it!"

"Hello, Coran. What seems to be the problem?" Monty asked, strolling up to him.

"I'm a sucker, that's the problem." Coran mumbled angrily.

Monty frowned. "Is this that debt you were talking about?"

"...Yes. Yes, it's the debt."

"Well, you'd better get started on missions so you can pay it back."

"...not it." Coran mumbled.

"Sorry?"

Coran heaved his shoulders. "Not it. Them. I have to pay off them." And he walked off.

Monty looked on after him, not sure of what to think of this.

* * *

Squirtle looked among the missions on the bulletin board. She wasn't sure what to do now, since normal missions seemed a bit trivial after the encounter with Rotom. She sighed. _Well, we can't be hunting down legendaries every day of the week._ She chose a flyer that stood out to her. It was mailed, which meant that it was sent by post with an SOS message.

_Help Me!_

Rank: B Dungeon: Towering Jungle

Hello, my name is Cappy. I went on an expedition a long time ago with a few of my  
friends to a far off place in search of treasure. We did end up finding some, but  
it was an inconsequential amount. A little downhearted, we started heading for  
home, but we found the hard way we didn't exactly know where home is. Now,  
I am being held captive in a village in Towering Jungles. This letter is my last contact  
to the outside world before they shut me away for some reason. Please, anyone  
who reads this letter, come save me! I don't know how long they plan to keep me here!

Reward: 5500 Poké + Augment

Squirtle scrutinized the slip of paper (mostly the reward), and decided that it was a good mission. It must have been on the bulletin board for a while, since it was behind a _lot_ of missions. It was old, yellowed with age. She wondered exactly how long this Pokémon had been captive to the villagers. Shaking her head, deciding those little details don't matter, she set off for the Towering Jungle, alone.

* * *

Looking up at the Towering Jungle, she felt like something was off. First of all, Towering Jungle was way, way southeast of Nuzlocke, running along the coast of the continent, so it should not be covered in snow. Furthermore, with a name like Towering Jungles, one would think there would actually be trees there. The map Squirtle had detailed huge, beautiful, leafy trees with thick, brown trunks. What she saw in front of her not what she saw on the map. Instead, she saw a field with tall, tall grass, waving in the slight breeze. There were no trees to be found anywhere, though the humid air told Squirtle she was in the right spot. But this air temperature...and the field...they didn't match. If there's a field here, the air should be less damp, more crisp. But it wasn't. It was a hodgepodge of climates.

"What's going on here?" Squirtle said to herself, before venturing into the tall grass.

Despite the fact that there were no trees, the grass itself was 'Towering' enough for Squirtle. And it was worse than trees in her opinion, since the grass was both more concentrated, and way more itchy. Stopping every few seconds to scratch herself furiously impeded Squirtle's progress further into the 'jungle'.

"How am I going to find a village when the grass is two feet higher than I am?" She grumbled, before bumping into a wall of wood. "Ouch!"

A Leavanny poked her head over the dark wooden wall. "It's an Eevee, sir! What do I do?"

Squirtle heard yelling over the wall, but couldn't make out what was said.

"Alright!" The Leavanny shouted back, then turned to Squirtle. "You there! What's your name?"

Squirtle, sensing this was serious, responded officially. "Squirtle, ma'am!"

"Squirtle? For an Eevee? Is that really your name?" The Leavanny's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Yes, ma'am! That is my name!" Squirtle replied. More shouting from over the wall, and suddenly, Leavanny was back.

"What is your business here?"

"I'm here to retrieve a Pokémon, ma'am!" Squirtle cringed, thinking she probably could've worded that better.

"Really? Retrieve a Pokémon? And what is this Pokémon's name?"

"Cappy, ma'am!"

Leavanny's head once again ducked under the wall, and there was once again talking on the other side. This time, Squirtle could make out the word 'Cappy' being said quite a few times.

"You wish to see Cappy?" Leavanny's voice came over the wall again, but without her face to accompany it.

"Yes, ma'am."

"He grants you entry." Leavanny said simply.

_He grants me entry?__ I thought he was a prisoner..._ Squirtle thought.

The walls swung open. Inside, Squirtle was greeted with...nothing special, really. The Leavanny from the wall stepped down to speak to her. "Cappy is down that way," she gestured to a path leading left of the centre of the village, then continued, "it's the biggest house down that...street." Leavanny pronounced it as if the word was unfamiliar to her.

"Alright, thanks." Squirtle nodded, and began walking down the street. Looking around, she took in all the sights of the village, which honestly wasn't that much. There were small houses, quite close to each other, like in Nuzlocke. But the Pokémon walking around seemed unsure of the layout, looking back and forth, as if it were new to them. Strange. She came to what looked like the biggest house on the street, and knocked on the door.

"Hello?" The voice came from inside. "Am I right in thinking you're the vistor?" Cappy opened the door.

"Ah, you're a Heliolisk." Squirtle nodded. "Although, you're quite big for one, if I'm not mistaken..."

"A full foot!" Cappy bragged. "Anyways, I don't want you standing on the threshold. If it's quick, you could tell me and be done, or you could come in if it's going to take a while."

"Well, that depends. Do you remember a trouble that you might have submitted? To the post?"

Cappy put his hand to his chin and closed his eyes. "Hmm...No, I can't remember anything like that."

"Alright. This'll take a while." Squirtle rolled her eyes and smiled.

Cappy invited her inside.

* * *

"I think I see where you're coming from, Squirtle. I'm beginning to remember. It's hard, being in charge of a village for upwards of three years, and being prisoner for twelve, to remember things that don't have to do with either." Cappy explained.

Squirtle simply nodded.

"Fifteen years ago, I went on an expedition with my buddies. We explored territory never before explored, in search of treasure! Unfortunately, we didn't find much. But when we started making our way back here, our ship wrecked, and a lot of us swam in different directions towards where we thought land was. I don't know how many made it...but I did, miraculously. I ended up on the south coast, far, far from here. I walked for a _long_ time, living off the generosity of others, trying to make my way back. I spent about a year journeying across this land, and I stumbled across this little hamlet.

"Of course, it wasn't a grassland then. It was a jungle. And the inhabitants weren't nearly as civilized as they are now. They captured me for intruding, and kept me there for a lot of the fifteen years. Then, about three years back, some tribe or something attacked. The chief of this village turned tail and fled, and the villagers were getting slaughtered. Someone let me loose throughout the whole thing, and following a whim, I fought for this village. We ended up winning against the intruders, and the villagers were impressed with my loyalty to someone who had imprisoned me for years. (They had kept me quite well, mind you) Since the leader never came back, they elected me leader. And now, I'm trying to civilize them. They were quite primitive; I've just introduced the concept of streets."

"Alright, so you don't need to get rescued?" Squirtle asked.

"No, not especially. Though..." Cappy trailed off.

"Though what?"

"There is her. I left her for the expedition. She said I could go, but I don't think she expected me to be gone that long. Maybe I should go back...Bah," Cappy closed his eyes, almost squeezing them shut. "She's probably left that house, cursing my name...I didn't leave her enough support for fifteen years, and she never was a go-getter...I wonder what became of her...no matter. I've got this village to tend to, and she's probably given up on me ever coming back, anyway." Cappy sighed, then muttered to himself, out of earshot of Squirtle (however possible) "It'd be nice to catch up with her, though."

"Well, is there anything else I can help with?" Squirtle offered.

"No, no. I'm fine. Here, what did I list the reward as?" Cappy shook his head, chasing the idea out of his head.

"It was...um..." Squirtle checked the flyer. "...5500 Poké and an Augment, whatever that is."

Cappy whistled. "5500 Poké?! Holy moly! Well, I promised, so here you go. And this Augment was the treasure I kept from the trove me and my buddies found. It boosts the strength of physical attacks if you hold it in some way."

"Alright, thank you. Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"

"Well...actually, there is something, but I don't expect you to complete it."

"Shoot."

Cappy gestured around him. "This place is called the village of Towering Jungle. Do you see a Jungle around here?"

Squirtle had been wondering about this. "No, I don't."

"It's the Drasil wilting. I've heard the same thing happened at Faren Heights. Frozen solid, apparently."

"Oh, yes. I was there. I'm definitely not going back, though. Faren Heights was...scarring, to say the least."

"Well, if you can..." Cappy stood up. "...I'd like you to find out what's wrong with the Drasil, and fix it! It's a big issue, but I'm sure all Pokémon everywhere would appreciate it."

"Actually, funny you should say that." Squirtle laughed a bit. "Me and my team are actually looking into what happened to Xerneas and Yveltal. Apparently, they've disappeared. Nobody knows what's happened to them. They aren't the kind of Pokémon to take a vacation, if you know what I mean."

"Yes, yes I do. Well, good luck, and godspeed. I'll see if there's anything I can do. Goodbye, Squirtle, and if you meet Phari, give her my heartfelt regards."

"Phari?"

"My wife. The one I left behind. If you see her..."

"...Don't worry, Cappy. I will."

"Thank you, Squirtle. Tell her where I am. Tell her to come see me, if she can, and if she still wants to." Cappy seemed quite sad.

"Alright. Goodbye, Cappy!" Squirtle walked out the door, and out the village, waving goodbye to the Leavanny, still wandering up and down the streets, trying to find her house.

* * *

"How'd your mission go, Squirtle?" Mew asked as she came back through the front door.

Squirtle was walking out of her office, finishing archiving the rewards and records for the past week. "Went well. There's another place affected by the Drasil, Mew." She went on to explain, completely, but subconciously, pushing the memories of Phari and Cappy out of her mind.

* * *

_Oh, Phari...Do you still love me? It's been fifteen years...I want to see you so bad...but they won't let me leave. Please, Phari...Come to me. Be my queen again...be my life again...Please..._

* * *

**Well, you know the other side of the story now, don't you?**


	17. Not a Drop to Drink

**So apparently, Rotom isn't a legendary Pokémon...? To me, he is. There's only one of it, it's got better powers than normal Pokémon, and there's a lot of buildup to its reveal. It's a legendary to me!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game Freak, Chunsoft, Nintendo or Pokémon. If I did, I would not be sitting here, writing this story into a fanfiction site, and instead be doing everything I can to get this plot worked into the next PMD game. But I can't, 'cause I don't, so I won't.**

* * *

_**Chapter 15**_

_**Not a Drop to Drink**_

"Hey, about that Rotom thing-" Squirtle began.

"NO. I don't want to remember anything about that." Mew grumbled.

"Oh, come on, humour me for a second." Squirtle continued. "She mentioned someone named Joji. She was talking to her, or something. Do you think that's another legendary?"

Mew thought for a moment. "Well...I don't know. Probably. Legendaries and pseudo-legendaries are a pretty tight group. And Rotom is pretty snooty, so I don't think she'd so easily talk to a non-legendary out of her own free will."

"So...do you know who Joji is?" Squirtle asked.

Mew shook her head. "Nope. I guess we might have to do some digging."

"Squirtle! I've got some bad news!" Monty burst through the front door, panic on his face.

Squirtle and Mew both faced him. "What is it?" Mew asked.

"Dusky Beach's sea is gone!"

"What?" Coran's voice came from the guest room. His door slowly opened, and he sluggishly made his way out of the room. "What'd I miss?"

Mew stared at him doubtfully. "What were you doing in there?"

"...Sleeping. Honestly, nobody values sleep anymore!"

Squirtle turned back to Monty. "So what's this about the sea?"

Monty's eyes were still wide with a strange cross of wonderment and fear, as if he could see what he was reporting. "I had finished my rounds for the day, and decided to relax on Dusky Beach. But when I got there, there was a screaming havoc right at the coastline. Of course, my curiosity was piqued-"

"Did you know, Mew, that if you sleep a full eight hours, it's proven that you are three times more productive than if you don't sleep at all?"

"Shh! We aren't talking about that anymore!" Mew hissed.

"-so I asked somebody what was going on, he simply stepped aside, and I saw it!"

"Don't leave me hanging like that! Saw what?!" Squirtle implored.

"The entire sea was gone! It was just sand! Sand as far as I could see! Dusky Beach is...a DESERT!" Monty screamed, anxiety in his voice.

"Wait, what!? Dusky Beach is gone?! Just...poof?!" Coran shouted.

"No, Coran. Listen! Dusky Beach dried up. And chances are," Squirtle looked over at Mew knowingly, "it has something to do with the Drasil roots."

Mew simply nodded.

Coran put a hand to his chin. "Isn't there some sort of legendary guarding the seas or something? Wouldn't they not let this sort of thing happen?"

"Kyogre." Mew mumbled. "That's who you're talking about. Maybe. But then there's Groudon, the foil for Kyogre. He governs the land. Maybe this is some sort of fight between them."

"I doubt it." Squirtle disagreed. "After that huge fight a long, long time ago, I don't think they'd make that same mistake again. Weren't there humans that were trying to-" Squirtle stopped herself, glancing uncomfortably at Coran. "Um, yeah. My point is, they wouldn't be fighting again."

"What do you suggest, then?" Mew huffed, a little upset.

"Well, are Xerneas and Yveltal still missing?" Squirtle started.

"Oh, no. You can't possibly mean..." Monty's tone grew higher as fear crept in.

"Yes. It might be. If the Drasil is wilting and consciences are melting because of the absence of Xerneas and Yveltal, doesn't that mean that the sea could be gone because Kyogre's gone?" Squirtle reasoned.

_I have to admit, it makes sense._ Coran thought.

"Hold on." Mew interjected. "What about Groudon? What happened to him?"

Squirtle simply shrugged.

"I have an idea." Monty crossed his arms. "How about, instead of sitting here and discussing an issue for hours on end instead of doing anything, we actually make our way down there to see for ourselves?"

Squirtle, Mew and Coran looked at Monty in bewilderment, realizing what they had been doing had been completely pointless, since they could have done the same thing while walking down there.

"That's a good plan, Monty. Let's do that plan." Squirtle said quietly, embarrassed.

* * *

Dusky Beach wasn't there anymore. Now, there were even more panicked Pokémon than before. Coran didn't feel quite as relaxed as he did the last time he came here.

"Ugh, we aren't going to be able to see a thing with this crowd here!" Mew complained.

"Um..." Squirtle surveyed her surroundings, trying to find another viewpoint, before spotting a sort of plateau. "How about up there?"

Everyone followed her gaze, and upon seeing it, agreed. They made their way up there together, and stood on the plateau, looking over dusky beach.

Coran's eyes began to tear up. "Oh, God..."

Dusky Beach, as Monty had said, was no more. In its place was a parched wasteland, devoid of any moisture or, beauty. The sun was still paused in its perpetual descent, but now, with no water to mirror its reflection, it looked more like a sinister fireball, threatening to roast anything that dared to get too close. The sandy dunes went as far as the eye could see, with the wind tossing and turning each grain, turning some into sandstorms that ravaged the already inhospitable land. There were Water Pokémon out in the desert, braving the conditions to save the fish Pokémon that presumably lived in the waters before they disappeared.

"What...I don't..." Squirtle looked as if she was about to cry. Coran didn't blame her. Mew was in shock, and Monty was shaking his head sadly.

"This is...Dusky Desert, everybody." Monty announced with mourning in his voice.

"I'm not sure what to say..." Mew spoke just above a whisper.

Coran stepped down from the plateau, and started heading for what used to be the coastline.

"What are you doing?" Squirtle turned to stare at Coran, who was walking away rather quickly.

Coran stopped momentarily, and turned back to them. "What, you aren't coming? I'm going to find Kyogre and set things right!"

"Wait, Coran! I'm coming, too!" Monty yelled, jumping off the short cliff and running after him. Squirtle and Mew followed them, pushing through the crowd of panicked Pokémon and into the foreboding, orange, pink and purple Dusky Desert.

* * *

Coran could not take the cold. That much had been established at Faren Heights. But Coran, unfortunately, couldn't take the heat, either.

He was terrible at withholding information under pressure.

But he was also very bad at tolerating the sun's relentless rays.

"Haah...haah...I don't...like deserts..." Coran wheezed.

"C'mon, guys! Me and Mew are _girls_, and we're holding up better than you!"

"Don't...give me...that...Mew is...a...Sandslash right...now. She's...cheating."

"I resent that!" Sandslash puffed up her cheeks in indignation.

Coran crossed his arms. "Squirtle, if you ever...want to stop...judgement against...women, you need to...not use...insults against genders." Coran said between wheezes.

"You aren't holding up too well, Coran, if I may say so." Monty lamented.

"I guess...I'm not too built for...extremes." Coran panted.

"Which is kind of ironic, since you're a Riolu, which is a Fighting type, which are supposed to be able to endure harsh conditions." Sandslash laughed a bit.

"Right, what are we even looking for?" Monty looked around, trying to find something out of place. All he could see were the mountainous dunes around him.

"Anything out of place," Squirtle told him.

"That's a negative, then."

"Eep!" Coran let out.

_Splash!_

Everyone turned around at the sound of water, only to find two things.

One, there was no sign of water anywhere.

Two, there was no sign of Coran anywhere, either.

* * *

Shivering in the shallow water, Coran shook himself off. _What just happened?_ He looked up, and saw sand dripping down through sandstone. Realizing what must have happened, Coran shouted up through the 'ceiling'.

"Hey! Are you guys up there?"

Silence was the only thing he heard for a while, before hearing Mew-er, Sandslash's voice. "Is that you, Coran? Where are you?" It was muffled, but that was to be expected through a few layers of sand.

"I don't see him-WAH!" Monty's voice became a lot clearer as he slipped through the weak point in the sand. Coran had the good sense to step back, but Monty still inadvertently splashed him as he came down.

"Monty! Where'd you go?" Squirtle's voice, along with Sandslash's came through the layer of sand.

"I'm here, Squirtle! There's a weak point in the sand or something along those lines!"

"It's over here, Squirtle." Sandslash's footsteps got dangerously close to the gap, but she was prepared for it. Coran saw her bottom half poke through the layer of sand, before she dropped through.

"Oh, hey. Glad you could _drop in._"

"No, Coran. No." Monty shook his head in disapproval.

"So...should I come down now?" Squirtle called.

"Hold up!" Sandslash froze. "Do you guys feel that?"

"What is it?" Monty asked.

"Guys, there's no way out of this room." Coran said worriedly.

"What's happening down there?" Squirtle asked from above.

Sandslash looked about worriedly. "This room is moving. Follow our voices Squirtle! But DON'T go into the hole!"

"Oh, then I probably should get back from it...Ack!" And with that, all four of them were trapped in the small waterlogged room.

"You're right, Mew...It _is_ moving..." Monty shivered.

"Where are we going?" Squirtle said, almost to herself.

* * *

"Is it just me, or are things getting cooler?" Coran asked, looking around. They had been in the small room for about ten minutes. Most of the trip had gone quietly, without speech.

Monty sniffed the air. "Yes, and the air's getting crisper as well. More...salty..." Monty trailed off, the implications hitting him.

"I think I know where the sea went, Coran." Squirtle mumbled.

"Really?" Coran asked, oblivious. "Where?"

"Wherever we're going."

Mew, back in her original form, threw up her hands in frustration. "And where is that? We can't even see outside of this bothersome box!"

"It's quite frustrating, yes. But...try to stay calm. I know it's...hard." Coran seethed, taking deep breaths.

"The box seems to have halted." Monty steadied himself from the inertia of the sudden stop.

"I don't think that's the end of it..." Buizel said, grimacing.

Coran was taken aback for a moment. "Wait, why are you a Buizel-"

And the box tipped over, sending the four on a chute of salty scariness.

"What the heeeeck!?" Coran screamed as he plummeted down the slide obviously not made for Pokémon, since the chute was so inclined, everyone felt they were falling. And unlike slides, there were no twists and turns. Only straight freefall.

It was terrifying.

All around them, for those who cared to look while plummeting to their doom, was an industrial site underground, filled with flames, steel, pipes and heat.

"_It must be mine..._"

"What was that?!" Coran tried to scream over the roar of the sea-water-slide they were in. Unfortunately, his voice was *ahem* drowned out.

"I see something ahead of us!" Buizel shouted to the rest of them. He was in front of the pack, so his voice carried a bit. It was hard to make out, but the others got the message. There was, indeed, something coming up in front of them in this wet, industrial nightmare, and none of them liked the looks of it.

It was a huge, wide, black container.

"_I must have it...It must be mine..._"

* * *

Hacking and sputtering, the four disoriented Pokémon got up from what they had thought was a container. It wasn't. The bottom was dropped out, making it more like a funnel than anything else. They were still getting their bearings, when they heard the foreboding voice again.

"_All of it...The water...I need it..._"

"What is that?" Coran, the first to raise his head, pointed and shouted at the...thing that was at the front of the room.

"_I need water...All of it...It must be mine..._" Its voice was raspy and parched, but maddeningly full. It seemed to shake Coran's body to its roots with its very presence.

"Oh, no..." Mew cringed, back in her original form again, seeing what exactly had stolen the ocean.

Monty gulped. "I think we're in some hot water now..."

* * *

**Heehee...puns. The highest form of humour. Sort of. According to my senile aunt twice removed.**

**So, feel free to speculate and discuss what the antagonist of the next chapter is in the review section! You have about one day.**


	18. Out of the Frying Pan

**Ugh...I accidentally deleted this chapter...Now I have to do it again...UUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH.**

* * *

_**Chapter 16**_

_**Out of the Frying Pan**_

Mew gulped. "It's Heatran."

Monty stiffened. "Heatran?"

"Yep."

"Fire type?"

"And Steel."

"Approximately how screwed are we?"

"Eighty-nine percent."

"Oh, great."

"_I need it...all of it..._" Heatran grumbled.

Coran and the others stood ready, waiting for Heatran to strike.

He didn't move.

"Is...is he there?" Squirtle asked.

"I don't think he's going to move until someone hits him," Squirtle said, coming up close to him.

Everyone looked at Coran. "What?"

"You're the best one to put a first dent in him," Mew explained.

Coran was shocked. "What, just because of my type? Seriously!?"

"Yes. Get going," Squirtle chided, nodding her head towards the stationary Legendary.

Coran made a face, then slowly walked up to Heatran, who had a completely blank face. "_So thirsty..."_

"Alright...better make this count," Coran whispered to himself. He pulled his fist back, and punched Heatran as hard as he could, right between the eyes.

Heatran didn't move. Coran sighed in relief. He turned to the rest of them to tell them to start wailing on him or whatever, not noticing the growing looks of horror on their faces. Suddenly, he was blasted with a pillar of lava.

"AAAAAUUUUGGGHHH!" Coran's anguished cry filled the underground chamber.

"Coran!" Squirtle screamed, watching helplessly as Coran's silhouette wavered in the column of pure fire. Yet his shadow still stood, Enduring the fire and flames.

Finally, the Magma Storm ceased. Coran was panting, burn marks everywhere. He didn't see the second one coming.

"AAAAUUGHH!" The cry came again, but a bit weaker. Coran Endured the Magma Storm again, but this time it only raged for about two minutes.

Coran fell to the ground. "Man, that does not feel good...But neither will this," Coran slowly made his way to his feet. "Copycat!" He yelled, and held his hands out, not knowing what to expect.

What happened was two pillars of lava came spiraling closer and closer to Heatran. Coran winced from the heat the lava was exerting on him. "Can someone else please help?!" He screamed.

The others realized they were just standing there. Mew and Squirtle quickly ran in to start whaling on Heatran. Mew barely made a dent before being pierced by Heatran's Fire Fang before going down. Monty, who was hiding behind a rock at the edge of the battlefield, dashed out to grab Mew's unconscious body and bring her back behind the rock.

"Mew, are you alright?" Monty exclaimed. Mew didn't respond. Monty frowned, then kept watching the battle.

Squirtle jumped into the air, hitting Heatran with Swift after Swift. The star-shaped rays didn't seem to be doing much. Coran finally ended the Magma Storm he had been keeping up, and shook his hands in pain.

"Agh! That's hot!" Coran winced. He noticed the futility of Squirtle's Swift. "Try aiming for his back...It's not protected-" Coran stopped, clutching his shoulders from burn wounds. He didn't have much left.

"I'll try," Squirtle grunted as she raced behind Heatran, who still hadn't moved. Heatran started charging up energy all around it, making it glow a bright orange. Squirtle jumped into the air and used Swift again, hitting Heatran on his abdomen. It made no noise, but reeled a bit. "Well, at least it looks like it's doing something."

Coran was wheezing. "I don't know how much more of this I can take...Maybe I should-" Coran couldn't finish before he was blasted with another Magma Storm.

"Really?!" Monty protested. "Do you have any sort of creativity, you flaming beetle?!"

"Coran'll be fine...for now..." Squirtle huffed. She was getting uncomfortably hot from the Heat Wave around Heatran. "He's Enduring. He can't faint while he's...Enduring..."

The Magma Storm ceased, and Coran was not looking good. He used Endure again. "This doesn't take away the pain, y'know!" He shouted, preparing another Copycat attack. Another Magma Storm.

Monty huddled behind the rock, and watched in fear as fire was thrown back and forth. "Agh! I feel so helpless!"

Coran's Endure status wore off. He tried to use it again, but didn't have the energy. "Okay. Last resort, here we go."

"Coran, what are you...?" Squirtle asked, taking her eyes off Heatran for a split second. That was all it took. She, completely unprepared, was flooded with lava in Heatran's Lava Plume.

"Squirtle!" Coran cried. The Lava Plume ceased, and Squirtle was on the ground, breathing heavily. Her legs were charred black.

"I-I-I can't move!" She panted. Monty dashed over and helped her behind the rock.

"That does it...REVERSAL!" Coran screamed. Blue orbs came out of his chest, circling around him faster and faster. They began to turn red, and he jumped in the air, turned himself towards Heatran, and sent the ring of orbs towards him.

"_I need it...all of it..._" Heatran mumbled before the blue orbs came in contact. Heatran roared in pain. He used one more Magma Storm, and it made direct contact with Coran.

Coran was down. Squirtle was immobile. Mew was unconscious. Monty was terrified.

"Monty...You've...rgh...you've gotta finish him off!" Squirtle cringed at the pain she was enduring because of her charred legs. "He can't stand much more..."

"Neither can I!" Monty protested.

"You're...the only one...who can do it."

"Alright...I'll do it," Monty decided.

"Good."

"I'm gonna go!"

"Great."

"I'll really do it!"

"_Then do it!_" Squirtle screamed angrily.

Monty rushed out from behind the rock. Like with the others, Heatran didn't seem to know he existed. _All the better for me,_ he thought. He dashed up to the Heatran and Slammed into him.

"Yeeowch!" Monty shrieked, affected by the Heat Wave around Heatran. Heatran's eyes locked onto Monty, who was now frozen in fear. It opened its mouth and bit Monty with a flaming maw.

"AAIIIEEE!" Monty cried, clutching his shoulder. Heatran seemed to become stationary again. Monty, with not much left to do, and not much more needed to do Heatran in, twirled his fingertip. A tornado started forming, and he threw in some razor-sharp leaves for good measure. Giving a fierce battle cry, he lobbed it toward Heatran. He was enveloped in the tornado, which immediately began rising upwards. Amazingly, it lifted Heatran up with it. Monty knew the tornado alone would not be enough. _I hope this works..._

The tornado disappeared, and Heatran fell. For what felt like an eternity, Heatran fell with nothing but a blank expression. He fell onto the platform with a dull thud. He didn't move. The pseudo-Ground type KO'd the Fire and Steel type Legendary.

Panting, Monty smiled lightly to himself. "I did it...I beat a legendary."

Then it sunk in. "I...killed a legendary! I...I KILLED A LEGENDARY!" He shrieked, horrified.

"M-Monty?" Mew's voice rang out from behind the rock. "Don't worry. You can't kill legendaries. He's alive."

"Is Coran okay?" Monty asked as he walked back to the rock everyone was behind, stealing a glance at the unconscious Heatran.

"Yeah, he's fine," Squirtle confirmed. "Do we have any Rawst Berries? Or some stairs? Are there any stairs we could get to?"

* * *

"Och...I am truly sorry. I don't know how that happened...I dinnae even know that _could _happen," Heatran hung his head in embarrassment.

Coran rubbed his arms, the Rawst Berry he ingested healing his burn wounds. "It's alright. I know firsthand what you've been through."

"So...what _did_ happen?" Squirtle asked.

"I...Ah, it's...a bit fuzzy. I got...so thirsty. And I don't get thirsty. Really. I started hating m'self for getting thirsty, because...I'm a legendary. I shouldnae be getting thirsty for anything. But I did...and then I...Sorry, I'm trying to find the best way to tell you...I took the back seat in my head. But...thank you."

"No problem," Monty smiled, happy the legendary wasn't angry with them.

"I can say what happened, Heatran. Your conscience melted, and the Voice took over," Mew explained.

Heatran seemed confused. "The Voice? My conscience melted?"

Mew then proceeded to explain to him about Xerneas and Yveltal's disappearance, the Drasil roots wilding and consciences melting as a result, and a mysterious force dubbed the Voice that seems to have all conscience melted Pokémon under its control.

"Ah...so you four are trying to seek and destroy this Voice, then?"

"Yessir," Coran nodded.

"So, uh...How do we get back?" Mew asked.

"Yes, the sea's back now, isn't it?" Squirtle asked, a trace of happiness in her voice.

"Aw, man, I don't like the idea of swimming an ocean's worth of water just to get back to shore..." Coran complained.

Heatran stepped forward. "If it's a problem, I could teleport you back to Dusky Beach."

"That would be appreciated, thanks," Monty nodded.

"Yeah...it'd be appreciated," Squirtle grumbled.

"Alright. Safe travels, and good luck," Heatran said before focusing energy on them.

He thought he might've heard a depressed sigh as they disappeared from view.

* * *

**...There's a clue in this chapter...did you find it?**


	19. Plot Device

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I assume you don't either. But I write these stories with the general assumption that you at least know what Pokémon is, or at least have an internet connection. Because if you go into stories like these without any knowledge of Pokémon, you're gonna be using Google (please tell me you don't use Yahoo or...*shudders* BING) a lot. Because some things I write about, like stairs being a cure all, or Heatran, or things like that...you might notice I don't explain what they look like. It's because you have (A): A knowledge of Pokémon, and/or (B) An internet connection. This was not a rant, I am not angry. It's just describing Pokémon is a pain. And I want you guys to know why I don't: Because I'm LAZY!**

* * *

_**Chapter 17**_

_**Plot Device**_

"Well, that was thoroughly unpleasant," Monty brushed the dirt off of himself after appearing from the teleport one third buried in sand on the coastline of Dusky Beach.

Squirtle wasn't going to say anything, but she was quite upset. Growing up with two Blastoises and a Wartortle can give you an inherent love for water. And Heatran decided swimming wasn't necessary.

"Well, it wasn't as unpleasant as swimming the whole way," Coran replied.

Mew shook the sand out of her coat of fur. "Shouldn't we be getting back?"

"...Yeah. Sure." Squirtle grumbled.

* * *

"Oh, hey! We've got mail!" Coran shouted from inside. He came out clutching an envelope.

"Who sent it?" Monty asked.

Coran took a good look at the envelope. "I don't know; They didn't sign it."

"But there's a return address, so we have that." Mew pointed at a corner of the envelope.

"Are we going to dust for fingerprints to find out who sent it or just _read the letter?_" Squirtle was in a bad mood from swim deprivation.

Mew and Coran shrugged and tore open the envelope.

_Coran, Squirtle, Monty and Mew,_

_Hello. You only know me as Joji through Rotom, but I am a legendary, and therefore you need to make sure I'm not the Voice. I'm located on the bottom floor of the Closed Catacombs. Don't ask why I'm hanging out at the bottom floor of catacombs. I have some information you might want, too. You may be asking yourself why I would be writing you a letter if I am a legendary under suspicion of influencing many Pokémon on a catastrophic scale. If you find out, please tell me because I'd like to know, too._

_I'll see you soon._

_Joji_

_P.S.: Don't. Even. Ask. Why. I am one hundred percent serious._

"Well, that was...interesting." Coran tried.

"It was concise, I'll give Joji that."

Mew huffed a bit. "I guess we know where we're going next, huh, guys?"

"Catacombs," Coran grumbled. "Why do we never go to meadows or something? We never go to pleasant places. We go to deserts, and frozen deserts, and haunted houses, and haunted forests, and catacombs! We never go to pleasant places!"

"You go to Dusky Beach all the time," Monty pointed out. "That's one of the most pleasant places around here."

"...There's nothing like sound logic to put you in a bad mood."

* * *

The Closed Catacombs were indeed closed off. There were wooden boards blocking off the entrance.

"Well, it looks like a dead end, I guess we have to turn back!" Coran said a little too happily, turning on his heel, only to be stopped by Monty's vine.

"Not so fast, Coran. If Joji is at the bottom of these caves, we are going to find her, rain or shine, board or no board. Now break them."

"What?"

"Break the boards," Mew stated. "You're the strong one. They look pretty old and rotten anyway. It shouldn't be too hard."

Coran sighed. He walked up to the boards quite reluctantly, and pulled back his fist.

_Whack! _The boards fell to the ground, opening the way into the dark cave. Coran groaned.

"So...This means we're going in, then?"

"Yes." Squirtle smiled, then headed inside.

* * *

The Enclosed Catacombs were cold. Not a natural, pure cold like in Faren Heights. It was a clammy, damp cold that made your skin crawl. The explorers' footsteps echoed off the stone-laid walls, creating an eerie feeling that someone was following them. Torches lined the walls, attached by ornate black metal. The torches were spaced exactly so anyone that dare tread the halls savour the fleeting light, for there were many stretches of nothing but darkness, with only the distant torches to guide you. The walls were strangely shaped, with more than just rocks in them. In fact, upon close inspection, there were bones cemented into the walls. Bones and skulls. Coran shivered.

"I don't like this place, Squirtle," Coran's voice rang out in the inky blackness. "I really don't."

"I'm quite sure nobody really likes this place, Coran. You aren't alone." Monty tried to comfort him.

Mew frowned. "Well, there doesn't seem to be any hostile Pokémon around here," she commented.

"That could be taken a couple ways," Coran gulped. "One way is that even hostile Pokémon are afraid to come here."

"Oh, stop it! You're scaring yourself!" Squirtle scolded.

"Well, I'd like to come away from these cryptic caverns as soon as possible, so let's just find Joji and leave," Mew said bluntly.

"Still got that penchant for alliteration, I see," Monty smiled despite himself in the darkness.

They walked in silence for a while, passing torch after torch, going down flight after flight of stairs, until they noticed something.

"There hasn't been a torch for a while. Think something's wrong?" Squirtle asked the rest of the group.

"Here, I'll try to help," said Mew, before transforming into an Ampharos. Its tail lit up red, granting sight to Mew and Squirtle.

"Aw, crap, not again!"Squirtle groaned.

* * *

Coran walked along the hallways, the footsteps of Monty trailing after him. "Where exactly are we?"

"I can't see my hands in front of my face, Coran. We'll have to wait until we come up to the next torch."

"We haven't seen a torch in a long time! How do we know there's gonna be more?"

"Well, to start, I see one up there."

"Oh, hey, wouldja look at that."

Indeed, there was an orange flickering light reflecting off the wall. Turning the corner, Coran and Monty were faced with stairs.

"Alright, let's head down." Monty began down the stairs. Coran didn't hear anyone behind him, which he found strange.

"Squirtle, you coming?" Coran asked, but after receiving no answer, he turned around. "Squirtle?"

"Coran, what's the hold up?"

"I think we lost the other two."

"Oh, not again!" Monty groaned.

* * *

"What do we do now?" Ampharos asked.

Squirtle rolled her eyes. "I guess we have to find them again. Which will be hard, since these are catacombs. They're naturally mazelike."

"Coran! Monty? Can you hear us?"

A deep moaning came from down the halls. It sent a cold shiver down Squirtle's spine.

"Is that them?" She asked shakily.

"I'm not sure...the way the walls are layered are meant to distort sound. It could be them...but then again..."

The moans came again. Coran was right. These catacombs were creepy. What kind of Pokémon would hang out in this kind of place anyways?

* * *

"Squirtle? Mew?" Coran called. "Agh...We had to get separated and lost in this place. Of all the places we could get separated and lost, it had to be here."

"We'll find them!" Monty tried. "Eventually..."

Coran kept shouting down the hallways. "Squirtle! Mew! Are you there?"

Suddenly, his ears picked up a moaning down the hall. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, or who they were, but it was a pretty good chance it was Squirtle and Mew. "Do you hear that, Monty?"

"No, what is it?"

"There's someone down the hall. Let's go." Coran explained as they headed into the inky blackness.

* * *

"Coran! Is that you? Can you hear us?" Squirtle tried yelling again.

"It's strange," Ampharos whispered. "It's almost like the darkness is actually eating our words up, warping them into some sort of twisted tone..."

"Don't say things like that!" Squirtle said as they walked down a flight of stairs.

The moaning became louder.

"I sure hope that's them..."

"What did I _just say?_" Squirtle seethed as they walked into more total darkness.

* * *

"Hello. I'm glad you finally came."

"AAAGH!" All four of the explorers screamed.

"Oh, grow up! Here, this should...shed some light on the subject."

The torches around them lit up, revealing all four of them in the same room with a Jirachi.

Squirtle stepped up. "I'm assuming you're the Joji in the letter?"

Joji nodded once. "Yes, that's me. And if you'll look, Dark, you'll see I'm wearing neither black leggings or Uggs."

As soon as she said that, Monty was lost. "Sorry, what? What are Uggs?"

Joji shook her head. "Forget it. I'm simply a tool to further something. But first, you have to scan my mind to make sure I'm not the Voice, right? That's what you do."

Feeling a bit awkward, Mew, now back in her original form, stepped forward and scanned Jirachi's mind. "She's clean."

"Right. I already knew that, but whatever." Joji sighed. "I'm going to have to go back up to the surface soon...Dang it."

"What's wrong with the surface? It's a lot less threatening than down here," Coran shivered again.

"It's got cell service."

"Again, you have lost me." Monty stated.

"Cell service. It's how Rotom contacts me. She woke me from my slumber one day, and by protocol, I'm supposed to give her a wish. She wished for someone to _enthusiastically_ listen to her every time she wants to complain or brag about something. Down here, she can't contact me unless she does so physically. Which she never does. It's always through Skype."

"...I'm not even going to ask." Squirtle said frankly.

Coran pulled the letter out of Monty's bag, to a slight protest from Monty. "You can't just do that, Coran!"

"Oh, Squirtle, I need a bag of my own. But Joji, you said in the letter you have information or something?"

"Yep. I do. Well, I don't, but I'm the one who's going to give it to you."

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to. Anyways, I'm supposed to say that you should probably hunt down Manaphy next. She's in a lake somewhere north of Nuzlocke."

"Could you maybe be a bit more specific?" Monty implored.

Joji again shook her head. "I can only say what I'm told. That's the way the plotline works. I don't know anything until he tells me. That's really all my purpose is right now. Exposition."

"Exhibition? Of what?" Coran asked.

"No, Coran, Exposition. It's a point of revelation in a story, usually through dialogue...of...some sort...What are you trying to tell us?" Squirtle said suspiciously.

"I'm trying to tell you to track down Manaphy, who is in a lake to the north. C'mon, let's get going back up. I'm pretty sure Rotom's called me at least fifteen times since I've been down here. You sure took your sweet time with Heatran, didn't you?" said Joji, floating back up the stairs.

Mew and Squirtle exchanged looks, unsure of what to make of Joji. "Well," Mew reasoned, "she said she has to talk to Rotom whenever Rotom feels like it, so I don't think I would come out of that any better than she has."

* * *

Back in the glorious sunlight, the explorers thanked Joji for her help and headed back to Nuzlocke. As Joji watched them go, someone walked up behind him.

"Joji...You really shouldn't cut it that close. It's dangerous, you know that."

"Relax. I didn't break it. I...tapped it. That's all. They don't suspect anything."

"Breaking the fourth wall is dangerous, Joji. Don't do it anymore. Or if you will, at _least_ wait until I'm gone so I don't have to suffer the consequences."

"...Fine. You are wound up way too tight, you know that?"

* * *

"Well...A lake to the north of Nuzlocke. That's pretty vague," Coran stated.

"It's better than what we had before," Mew replied.

"Which was?"

"Zip."

"These leads keep coming faster and faster..." Monty lamented. "I hope we get a break soon."

* * *

**You'd be jaded too if you had to listen to Rotom every time something remotely funny, scary, happy, sad, or something happened to her.**

**Sorry it's another short chapter, but I'm really tired, and I wanted to get one up today. I'll try for a bigger one tomorrow.**


	20. The Intern

**I feel like Shuppet isn't appreciated enough.**

* * *

_**Chapter 18**_

_**The Intern**_

"So...does anybody have any idea where this lake is?" Coran asked, looking around at the four explorer's faces.

Mew hesitated, then shook her head. "No. I'm not too familiar with this part of the continent."

"Squirtle, could you hand me the map?" Monty asked.

Squirtle nodded, and brought the map over to Monty, who brought it close to his face. He nodded to himself decidedly, then laid the map flat on the floor.

"We're here," Monty explained, pointing to Nuzlocke. "Of course, north is that way. Before we reach Faren Bay, there are three lakes. One is directly north, and two are varying degrees to the northeast."

"Faren Bay? Don't you mean Faren Heights?" Coran asked. Monty shook his head.

"Faren Heights is just east of Faren Bay. They're connected. That's why they share a name."

"You seem to know a lot about this continent, Monty." Mew commented.

"Well," Monty smiled, "my parents were both cartographers, and I had to wait for them to finish mapping before they could tuck me in as a kid. I ended up waiting around them while they discussed. I never really liked cartography, but their knowledge rubbed off on me, I suppose."

"Which one holds Manaphy, do you think?" Squirtle asked, scrutinizing the three lakes.

Realization sunk in as Mew spoke up. "Wait, Manaphy is the prince of the _sea._ Why would he be in a lake?"

"Maybe something's wrong with the sea," Coran suggested.

"Or maybe Joji lied to us," Squirtle pointed out.

Mew frowned. "I don't like that thought. Let's act on the thought that Manaphy's in one of the lakes, okay?"

Squirtle huffed. "Fine. Okay, so what do we do?"

"We go to the lakes." Coran said simply.

"No," Squirte said, smiling. Coran thought it looked more like a snake's smile. "First," she walked slowly up to Coran, who was getting more and more nervous as her tone became more and more sinister... "First, Coran...we go shopping."

Oh God.

* * *

"Oh, hey, it's Squirtle! I haven't...um...experienced your presence here for many a moon!" Shuppet smiled good-naturedly. "Who are the companions you've annexed into your endeavors?"

Squirtle tried to hide a smirk. "Monty, Mew. I feel like you've picked up a thesaurus since I last saw you."

"It's like a Bible to me!"

"Well, I'm wondering if you could help us with something," Squirtle told her.

"Shoot."

"We're preparing to go out to the nameless lakes north of Nuzlocke." Monty interjected.

"Oh, those are quite a ways...If you want my suggestion, you're gonna need a couple of things..." Shuppet floated to the back shelves of the shop. "First of all...these," Shuppet used Psychic on a couple of apples, then continued, "are to curb your appetite. On a long journey like the one you're doing, the last thing you're gonna want to faint from is hunger. No self respecting Pokémon would let themselves be caught dead, erm...fainted from hunger."

Squirtle nodded, grabbing some of the apples out of the air, placing them into her bag. "Thanks. Anything else?"

"Well...with all these hostile Pokémon popping up out of the blue, you're gonna want to prepare for combat. You could take some healing items, like Oran Berries-"

"Do you have any Sitrus Berries?" Squirtle blurted out.

Shuppet was taken aback. "Sitrus? Well, yeah, we have those...but everyone buys Oran berries since they cost less and are basically the same..."

"They are not the same!" Monty and Squirtle both yelled at the same time, receiving looks from everyone else present.

"What? They aren't!" Monty shrugged.

"Anyway..." Shuppet slowly got back on track. "We'll ring up a few...Sitrus Berries...and...oh! You're going to need a few Reviver Seeds, just in case."

"Um, I already have seventy or so Reviver Seeds," Coran dismissed Shuppet's suggestion.

"Ignore him, Shuppet. He went shopping a while ago," Squirtle started.

"Squirtle..." Coran growled.

"After getting paid about 3000 Poké..."

"Don't you dare!"

"And he bought about seventy..."

"Squirtle, I'll never forgive you!"

"Reviser Seeds."

"Re...ReviSER Seeds?" Shuppet tried to stifle a laugh. She failed. "BWAHAHAHA! Oh, what a rookie mistake!"

Coran simply scowled, staring daggers at Squirtle's sheepish grin.

"But seriously, you don't want Reviser Seeds. They basically do the same thing as Reviver Seeds...They revive you after fainting, but they have the side effect of making you laugh so hard you can't breathe. You pass out again from lack of oxygen."

"Oh."

"Don't feel bad!" Shuppet laughed again. "Like I said, it's a common mistake. Here, wait a sec - You guys okay on your own for a few minutes?" Shuppet asked Squirtle. She nodded. "Alright, Coran. Here are two seeds. One's a Reviver, one's a Reviser. Which one's which?" Shuppet asked, lifting up

"This one," Coran said, pointing at the one on the left.

Shuppet shook her head. "Nope. Look closely on the right one. See the faint glow?"

As Shuppet gave Coran a tutorial on how not to kill himself, the rest of the team picked up some Escape Orbs, Oran and Sitrus Berries, as well as some preventative measures; Rawst Berries, Cheri Berries and Pecha Berries.

"...Do you get it now?" Shuppet asked, as Coran looked over the seeds one more time.

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Shuppet!"

"Anytime. Oh, and take these, as a...graduation present." Shuppet smiled as she used Psychic to 'hand over' five Reviver Seeds.

"Thank you so much!" Coran beamed. Squirtle smiled at Shuppet over her shoulder, giving a silent thank you as they left the store after paying.

Shuppet took her place back at the counter. "Man...I am so bored..."

* * *

Coran grinned, feeling the wind blow softly past him. For once, the environment they were exploring was actually pleasant. "This feels so good! No creepy catacombs, no freezing volcanoes, no parched deserts..." Coran sighed happily.

Squirtle couldn't help but smile too. "It is pretty nice to be in a tame climate once in a while, huh?"

"Oh, it feels absolutely wonderful!" Monty cheered.

Mew flew up a few feet. "Yes, but how far are we from the Nameless Lakes - oops!"

"What is it?" Coran asked.

"I named them."

Coran laughed. All of them seemed in quite a good mood as they walked farther north. Best of all, there were no hostile Pokémon to bat off. It wasn't long until they reached the lake directly north of Nuzlocke.

It wasn't a very breathtaking lake. It was respectably big, but not overwhelmingly so. What struck Coran as odd was that it was not surrounded by mountains of any kind. _The lakes I've been to have always - Oh, hello, thoughts of unknown origin. I've missed you._

"So...what now?" Mew asked, inspecting the surface of the lake.

"Well, Manaphy is supposedly residing here, correct? We should probably try to find him." Monty shrugged.

"I'll do it!" Squirtle shouted back at the now surprised group as she dived into the water. _Oh, it feels so good! _Squirtle marveled. She may not be a Water type, but growing up with them will do this sort of thing to a Pokémon.

"Did she just-" Coran stared at the disturbed waters.

"Yes. Yes she did," Mew stated.

Squirtle began to dive down deeper, reasoning that if Manaphy was a prince of the sea, he wouldn't be hanging out near the surface. She swam with breakneck speed towards the lakebed. _Ah, I think I see him! _She thought as she saw a panicked Pokémon swim frantically across the bed to avoid her. Although a better swimmer than her, Manaphy was used to open waters, and therefore was at a loss once he hit a wall. Sulking in defeat, he turned around and winced, waiting for an attack.

Squirtle waited for him to open his eyes. She pointed upwards, towards the surface, and began to swim up, hoping Manaphy would follow.

"There she is. Squirtle! Give us a little more warning the next time you do that, please!" Monty shouted across the lake.

"Sorry," Squirtle grinned as she swam over. "I just haven't swam in such a long time. It feels so good!" She looked behind her, pleased to see Manaphy following like a five year old caught stealing candy.

"Look, before you start, um...I don't have any Poké. Nothing worth stealing." Manaphy wouldn't raise his head.

"...What?" Coran looked genuinely confused.

"And I'm totally weak, so you won't get anything out of beating me up." He continued, disregarding Coran's doubtful 'what'.

"Hold on a moment-" Monty tried to interrupt.

"And if you do any sort of vandalism to the lake, I'm gonna hafta file a report and bring it to Uxie, which is a huge pain, so please don't-"

"Uxie?" Mew asked, intrigued.

"Eep!" Manaphy covered his mouth. "I've said too much!"

"It's okay. We aren't going to steal anything, or rob anything, or vandalize anything," Squirtle comforted the obviously flustered Manaphy.

Mew crossed her arms. "You don't seem too familiar with this 'guardian' thing."

"I do, too! I'm just not used to guarding...you know...someplace so small." Manaphy pouted.

"Not used to?" Monty questioned.

"Well, yeah. I'm the Prince of the Sea. I'm supposed to be guarding up north, past Faren Bay. But the Phione have got it covered while I replace Azelf-"

"Manaphy!" A loud voice rang out from out of the blue.

"Eep!" Manaphy covered his mouth. "I've said too much!"

"Didn't you just say that?" Coran mumbled.

A yellow floating spirit appeared, followed by a pink one. "Manaphy, you talk too much!" Uxie, the yellow one, scolded. "If you're going to be interning here, you've got to learn to keep secrets!"

"Don't say that word! I'm a guardian! Not an intern!" Manaphy protested.

Mesprit, the pink one, grinned. "Who are you kidding, kid." She chuckled. "You ain't a guardian yet. That's why we took you in."

"Um, excuse me?" Squirtle asked quietly, trying to get their attention. Mesprit and Uxie turned to her.

"Yes?" Uxie replied.

"Uh...My name is Squirtle the Eevee, and this is Coran, Monty and Mew. We're investigating the disappearance of legendaries as well as the wilting Drasil roots, the melting of consciences and a phenomenon called the Voice. We think that it must be a legendary that is broadcasting the Voice-"

"Wait. What is this Voice you speak of?" Uxie asked, almost menacingly but not quite.

"When a Pokémon's conscience melts, they are susceptible to the Voice, which commands them to do most heinous crimes." Coran explained.

"Azelf..." Mesprit turned to Uxie worriedly.

Uxie nodded. "It might be." Turning back to the group, she told them to continue.

"Um...where was I...Oh, yes. Since a legendary must be the one broadcasting the Voice, we're hunting down Legendaries and scanning their conscious minds to see if they are projecting the Voice in any way."

"Alright. Go ahead." Uxie nodded.

Squirtle was confused. "Sorry?"

"Go ahead. Scan us. We have nothing to hide."

Mew floated forward. "Alright, here I go." She closed her eyes, put her paws to her forehead and scrunched up her face. It reverted back to normal as she opened her eyes. "They're all clean," She confirmed.

Nobody seemed to notice Uxie's frown.

"So...who's this Azelf?" Mew asked.

Uxie wasn't talking, so Mesprit decided to fill in for her. "Azelf's Uxie and my brother. He's in charge of the willpower of Pokémon. What you call the voice isn't that new to us. Especially not to Azelf. He got super angry as soon as he heard someone was controlling other Pokémon's minds. It's a bit of a soft spot. You understand."

Monty nodded.

"Well, anyways, he was telling us how disgusting this commanding thing is, right before we go to rest for the night. When we wake up, Azelf was gone. No trace. It's not like him. He would've at least told us where he was going."

"Oh, no." Squirtle said quietly.

"What? What is it?" Manaphy asked eagerly.

"Xerneas, Yveltal, and Kyogre have also disappeared without a trace...I wonder if Azelf is going through the same thing..."

"I hope not," Uxie lamented. "Azelf is still pretty young. Almost as young as Manaphy."

"Hey!"

"I don't know how he would handle...whatever the others are going through."

"Well...um...I don't really know what to say now," Coran trailed off, frowning. "Do any of you three know the location of any other legendaries?"

Manaphy nodded. "Up by Faren Bay. There's a whole bunch of Phione. They probably aren't the voice, but they...well, you'll see." Manaphy said, smirking to himself.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry to waste your time," Squirtle said as she began walking away.

"Hold on a second, Squirtle."

Squirtle stopped and turned to face Uxie.

"While your efforts are noble...there is a fatal flaw in your logic. Find it, or it will be your undoing."

Squirtle frowned, and Coran shivered at the foreboding words. Monty nodded, as if he already knew what the flaw was.

_I am totally bluffing, _he thought.

* * *

**Fun Fact: Coran, when he was human, was three quarters Italian.**


	21. BONUS: Lampshade

**Well, here it is, another bonus chapter. I don't know how I'm gonna go about the next chapter yet, so this one is stalling for you. I'd like to round out a few more characters, so this one...**

* * *

_**BONUS CHAPTER**_

_**Lampshade**_

_"Thank you so much!" Coran beamed. Squirtle smiled at Shuppet over her shoulder, giving a silent thank you as they left the store after paying._

_Shuppet took her place back at the counter. "Man...I am so bored..."_

"Prepare yourselves! The wilting Drasil Roots will be the end of us! Your town will be a maze! Your business will be a Mystery Dungeon! You'll never leave home again! Stay safe while you can!" A strange Mawile roamed up and down the streets. Shuppet didn't pay attention.

_Ugh,_ she thought, _there's one in every town. Those end-timer guys._

"Shuppet? Don't look so apathetic. It's bad for business!" Banette's voice called from across the street. Shuppet perked up immediately.

"Mr. Banette! You're back!" She said happily.

Banette smiled. "Yes, I am. And I've got supplies!" He gestured to his bulging treasure bag.

"Hmm...It's not as big as your last haul," Shuppet commented.

Banette scrutinized his bag. "Yes, you're right. Maybe I'm losing my touch," he frowned.

"No, I didn't mean it like that! I certainly-" Shuppet yelled, trying to correct her mistake.

"It's fine, Shuppet. Actually, while we're still on the topic, I've been meaning for you to take over Banette's Bazaar for a while now...but for you to do that, you're going to need to learn to venture out into the field and get items," Banette started.

"Wait...you don't mean..." Shuppet trailed off.

"We're closing up shop and going on an expedition. Together."

"Really!?" Shuppet was ecstatic.

"Well, you're going to be doing it alone, eventually, so I figure now is a perfect time to start your 'training'."

* * *

"Alright, here we are!" Banette crossed his arms.

"Um...I've never heard of this place before. What is it?" Shuppet tilted her head in confusion.

"Treasure Cave. Not a very creative name, but if you know your way around, it's extremely profitable." Banette stated.

"What do you mean, if you know your way around?"

Banette turned to Shuppet. "It's a maze. If you don't know left from right, you're doomed. Luckily, I know left from right. So without further ado," Banette turned back towards the cave, "let's begin."

The cave was strangely lit. The fact that it was lit at all was strange. There were no light sources that Shuppet could see. The cave was pretty standard as far as caves go. Stone walls, hollowed out, stalactites and stalagmites lining the path. The most interesting part was the lighting...

...and the turns.

Left, right, path number 3, middle, left, far left, second from the right...Shuppet couldn't keep track of it all. But before she knew it, Banette's treasure bag was huge. Again, not as big as she'd seen before, but still quite a respectable amount.

"The more valuable items are deeper in. We've got a good stock of those, so we won't go there yet-" Banette began to explain before being interrupted by an earthquake.

The ground shook beneath them like a toddler having a freakout. Shuppet wouldn't normally be fazed, except some of the stalactites were coming loose, crashing toward the ground at a frightening pace. Huddling close to Banette to minimize surface area, she squinted her eyes shut.

The ground stopped. The two shopkeepers opened their eyes.

And they couldn't recognize a thing.

"W-what? I don't recognize this..." Banette's voice was laced with confusion as he pulled out his Wonder Map.

"Is something wrong, Banette?" Shuppet asked nervously.

"Aah! You can bet something's wrong! My Wonder Map is blank!"

"Your what?"

"My Wonder Map. It's what I used to keep track of the twists and turns in here. It's been erased!"

"Then how do we get out?!" Shuppet was frantic.

Banette was suddenly stern. "First of all, we don't panic. Second, we...erm...go this way."

"You're bluffing," Shuppet deadpanned.

"Well, do you have any better options? Look, we'll just find some stairs and make our way back up."

"...I guess."

The cave was definitely different now. The nature of it was the same; still strangely lit with no light source, otherwise looking like a generic cave but with items strewn everywhere, but there was one big difference. The cave was now divided into floors. Perfectly horizontal floors. And each of these floors had parallel and perpendicular hallways snaking through them, leading to many rooms. One of these rooms held the stairs and their escape.

"This is certainly different..." Banette marveled at the cave around them as he filled out his Wonder Map.

Shuppet wasn't in as good a mood. "How are we going to get out of here?"

"By finding the stairs, Shuppet. I've told you already."

"Wait, we're looking for _stairs?_ In a cave?"

"This isn't just Treasure Cave anymore, Shuppet. It's a Mystery Dungeon. Things work differently here now. One thing is that there should be - WAH!" Banette jumped in surprise as a Geodude came out from behind a corner.

"Um...Hi, there. Mind letting us pass?" Shuppet asked.

The Geodude said nothing. Instead, it curled into a ball and rolled towards Banette at breakneck speed. It rode up his body and hit him in the jaw.

"Ouch..." Banette rubbed his jaw in pain. "Well, if that's how you want to go about this..." He raised his hand and summoned a ball of dark energy before throwing it at the Geodude. It was enveloped in the black sphere, then laid upon the ground, fainted.

"Okay, let's keep going-" Shuppet started before witnessing the Geodude fade away before their eyes. "AAUGH! What happened to it?!"

"That's what happens when hostile Pokémon faint in Mystery Dungeons. Don't question it. Just...keep moving," Banette winced, as if remembering something. He led Shuppet to some stairs, then they appeared in a room.

"W-Where'd the stairs go?" Shuppet exclaimed, looking around wildly for the stone steps they had just come up. Banette shook his head and kept moving. They saw another hostile Pokémon in the distance.

"Shh! Don't move a muscle." Banette stopped Shuppet in her tracks.

Shuppet looked over Banette's shoulder to see another Geodude. It obviously saw them; its eyes were flickering with hatred. But it was not moving an inch. "Why's it doing that?"

"All hostile Pokémon in Mystery Dungeons have to wait for you to move before they can. Don't question it; it's better this way."

"Mystery Dungeons are weird places," Shuppet commented.

"Now...follow my lead. If we move carefully, we should be able to lose him."

"O-okay," Shuppet nodded.

They moved carefully for the nearest hallway. The Geodude followed them, but as soon as it broke the line of sight, it completely forgot about the two. They emerged into another small room, with two piles of Poké, a sleeping Graveler and stairs.

"I don't understand..." Shuppet said. "This is hurting my head!"

"Only a few more floors," Banette whispered, almost comforting himself as much as Shuppet.

"How can you know that?"

"I don't."

Before heading up the stairs, they felt a faint breeze blow past them, as if a warning to hurry up.

* * *

"Well, we're almost out." Banette remarked.

"How in the world can you tell!?" Shuppet screamed, completely fed up with this strange place.

"I can feel it in my bones."

"You don't have bones! And...I'm sorry for doubting you, but _why_ are we going _down_ stairs if we want to get _out?_"

"Just...trust me. I've been in this situation before...It wasn't that long ago, actually...Ah! Here!" Banette found what he believed to be the last set of stairs.

They led to a dead end.

"Ugh! See? I told you! Now we have to-"

_Banette and Shuppet successfully cleared the Dungeon!_

"Wait, wha-" Shuppet started.

Suddenly they were outside Treasure Cave.

Banette chuckled lightly. "Well, I guess we aren't going back to Treasure Cave for a while..."

* * *

Shuppet was back at the counter of Banette's Bazaar, happily tending to every customer's needs. "Hi, welcome to Banette's Bazaar, how may I help you?...No, you're thinking of Poicasso's shop down the street. He sells jewelry. We're more of a general store. Mmhmm. Thank you for visiting. Oh, hey, can you not play with the displays? There's Wonder Orbs in aisle 2 on that side of the store. Thank you! Hi, welcome to Banette's Bazaar, how may I help you? Oh, excuse me for a minute - Miss, could you please get your Spoink under control? He's disturbing - oh, I apologize, she's disturbing some of the customers."

It was an overwhelming job, but Shuppet did it happily, shuddering at the alternative.

* * *

**Mystery Dungeons are weird, don't you think? And sorry for not getting this up yesterday; I'll try to get two up today to make it up to you guys and gals and other things that somehow made it onto the internet.**


	22. Super Pokémon Sunshine

**Let's hope this was posted on June 15th, 2014!**

* * *

_**Chapter 19**_

_**Super Pokémon Sunshine**_

"You're heading back to the lakes? Weren't you just there?" Shuppet asked in confusion.

Squirtle nodded. "Yes, but we wanted to restock before heading back. We're going on another adventure."

"Really now?" Shuppet cleared her throat, and Squirtle prepared herself for multifarious verbiage. "Please, inform me as to your whereabouts in the coming future."

"We're going to Faren Bay, near the Nameless Lakes," Monty explained.

"Wait...Faren Bay? You know what happened to Faren Bay, right?" Shuppet leaned closer.

"No, what happened?" Coran asked, getting a bit nervous.

"It's a Mystery Dungeon now!" Shuppet exclaimed.

The group was silent.

"...Okay, thanks for the heads up," Mew said slowly.

Shuppet was shocked. "What, do you even know what a Mystery Dungeon is?"

Monty scratched the back of his head. "Yes, we do. Me and Squirtle have been in...What, two, now?"

"I've been in at least one!" Coran quipped.

"I've seen a few dangerous dungeons myself," Mew smirked.

Shuppet gawked. "B-but...you're going into one..._voluntarily?_ But the...the stairs! An-and...the Pokémon! And the hallways and the rooms and-"

"It's okay, Shuppet," Squirtle comforted. "We're...um...experts." She looked around at her crew, and realized for the first time that they really weren't. None of them. _But hey, __we got this far, right?_

"Well, I can't stop you. But I can get you prepared. Mystery Dungeons are scary places. I don't like them, I'm sure you don't either. So, I'll help you get prepared as you need to be."

* * *

"Ugh...these bags are so heavy..." Mew grunted, barely able to keep afloat from the bulging bag slung over her shoulder.

Coran walked unburdened. "Well, at least you have bags. Squirtle still hasn't issued me one."

"Here, you can take mine," Squirtle said. Her tone was sarcastic, but she was still gesturing for Coran to pick up the bag. At first, Coran was hesitant, but he shrugged and put his paw around the handle and began walking.

Well, he tried. Really, he did. But when he moved his legs, the rest of his body didn't move with him. "Wow...um...Gimme a minute. Wasn't expecting it to be so URGH!...Heavy."

The others stopped, watching in amusement as the only Fighting type around them struggled to carry a bag that Squirtle was lugging not a few moments before. Then Squirtle took her foot off the other handle of the bag, and Coran was flung backwards.

"Oops! I guess I was stepping on it! Sorry!" Squirtle smirked.

Coran, grumbling, said nothing outright as he slung the bag over his shoulder and kept heading north.

* * *

"Here it is! Ladies and gentleman, I give you Faren Bay!" Monty tried his best to spread his hands in a showy gesture, but that was hard since he didn't have arms. So he just stepped aside and let them enjoy the view.

Faren Bay was what Coran speculated Faren Heights to be like when it wasn't sub-zero. Except with more water. Faren Bay was shaped like a U (like most bays), the land curving upward to a cliff. At the top level of the cliff was a series of small pools, some of which seemed to house some Pokémon. The Bay looked similar to Dusky Beach in many ways, except for the fact that it wasn't as beautiful because the sun was directly above them instead of shining over the horizon. The sand seemed to be of a coarser texture than in Dusky Beach, but it was a respectable beach all the same. Except for one thing.

One fatal flaw.

The water was rusty.

That was the best way to explain it. The water was a dull orange. Coran was repulsed by it. "Are we going in there?" He asked, disgusted.

"I'm a bit hesitant to go for a swim myself," Monty admitted.

Squirtle shook her head. "I don't like it either, but the fate of the world is a little more important than a bit of rusty water."

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am sore all over from the walk here," Mew stretched a bit, apparently not realizing the irony in her statement. "I'm just gonna relax for a bit in the hot springs over there before I get my dungeoneer on."

"Wait, there's hot springs over there? Dibs!" Coran dashed past Mew towards the pools on the tip of the cliffs.

Monty gave Squirtle a pleading look, and Squirtle, after holding the look for a good two minutes, finally relented. "Fine. Ten minute break."

Monty cheered and headed for the hot springs, hot on Coran and Mew's trails. Squirtle, trying to hide a smile, followed them.

* * *

"Oh, my shoulders! Those bags really did a number on 'em!" Mew exclaimed while sinking into the bright green waters.

"Yes, well, just relax and let the hot spring rejuvenate your body!" Monty smiled.

"Monty...you remembered to take off your Treasure Bag _before_ getting in the hot spring, right?" Squirtle asked.

Monty's smile melted.

"Y'know, there's this spring in Yellowstone National Park called the Yellowstone Prismatic Spring. The water in it is two different shades of blue, and the land surrounding it is orange. The coastline of the spring looks green, and so the entire thing looks like a sort of rainbow," Coran reminisced.

"Where's Yellowstone National Park?" Mew asked, confused.

"...I dunno." Coran shrugged, not wanting to get into that certain pattern of thinking again.

Monty narrowed his eyes and looked at Coran, who hung his head back and closed his eyes. _He's hiding something. But what? And why from me?_

"So..." Squirtle wanted to get the others back on track. "Do you think this rusty water has to do with Faren Bay becoming a Mystery Dungeon?"

"Did I hear you right?" A voice called from the next spring over. "You guys tryin' to solve the rust conundrum?"

"Who's there?" Monty called, a little nervous.

A small Pokémon hopped over the perimeter of the adjacent spring. "Name's Shaymin. I'm kind of in charge of keeping the environment clean. But I don't do water. Suicune does water. Unfortunately for me, Suicune ain't here right now. And so I'm at a bit of what you could call an impasse. So. Are you tryin' to solve the rust thing or not?"

Squirtle was a bit taken aback by a large tone coming from such a small Pokémon. "Um...yeah. We're trying to do that," she confirmed.

"Great. That's great. Okay, I'm gonna be straight with you; I have no idea where to go from here," Shaymin admitted. "So any ideas would be, y'know, greatly appreciated."

Mew crossed her arms. "You're a legendary. You should take charge of cleaning the waters in Suicune's absence. Trusting some random Pokémon you _just met_ to help you solve the problem is not a responsible action for you to take."

"Well, you've proved yourself responsible by scolding me, now haven't you?" Shaymin smirked.

"Is that logical?" Coran whispered to Monty. He simply shrugged. Mew made a face.

"C'mon, guys. If we were going to do this anyways..." Squirtle chided the rest of them, who were rather skeptical.

"No, we weren't. We were going to talk to the Phione, remember?" Mew was getting frustrated at her team's lack of commitment. "That's it. No purifying of water. No helping out lazy legendaries."

"I resent that, ya pink flyin' pussy cat!" Shaymin shouted indignantly.

"Why not help her?" Monty asked.

"Because we are here to do one thing! And that is to talk to the Phione!"

"The Phione? Kitty, they're gone."

"Excuse me?" Mew was seething now, half because of the news, half because of the name.

"Poof. Zippo. As soon as the water choked, they beat it. Don't think they'll come back until the water's crystal again," Shaymin was a little smug for Mew's liking. "So it looks like you'll have to help me."

Coran gave Mew a strange look. "Why are you so hostile to Shaymin, anyways?"

Mew sighed. "I'm not getting enough sleep, I guess."

That set Coran off. "Seriously?! Sleep? Why does nobody value sleep anymore? It's essential! It annoys me!"

Mew decided that she had to say something to shut Coran up. "Fine. Let's clean the stupid water, talk to the Phione and get out of here."

"How do we go about cleaning the water?" Squirtle wondered out loud.

"The easiest way is if we could find Suicune," said Monty. "You said she could purify water, right, Shaymin?"

"Mmhmm. So we need to find her, then," Shaymin confirmed, before seeing Mew's disapproving gaze out of the corner of her eyes. "Hey, Kitty! Don't give me that look. I'd purify the water if I could, but I do air. If it was reversed, would you be giving Suicune the same look? Naw, I don't think so."

"Fine. Let's go find Suicune, then." Mew grumbled.

* * *

They had been searching Faren Bay and the surrounding area for a while, with no luck.

"Maybe we need to spread out our search," Squirtle suggested.

Coran said nothing. He was thinking hard. "Shaymin...I'm just thinking out loud here, but was Suicune in contact with you before she disappeared?"

Shaymin nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, we were best friends. Or at least, I thought so. Then she up and bolts out of the blue. It's not like her."

"So she didn't tell you where she was going, or that she was going at all?" Coran asked.

"Nope."

"I'm beginning to see a pattern," Coran commented. "The same thing happened with Azelf. He just left without telling a soul. I wonder if the same could be said for Kyogre, Xerneas, Yveltal, and..." Coran's eyes widened as he thought of something.

"Finish the thought, for goodness sakes, Coran! Don't leave us on the line!"

"What if this happened with Heatran?"

Coran's idea began to dawn on Squirtle, too. "You don't mean..."

"It's a possibility," Mew nodded.

"Can somebody spell it out, please?" Monty begged, obviously upset his mind didn't work as fast as the others'.

"What if the disappearing legendaries are being turned hostile?" Coran told him.

"Hold on, what? There are more legendaries that are disappearing? This might be worse than I thought..." Shaymin said quietly.

Squirtle shook her head. "This needs to be talked about, but not right now. Finding Suicune is our number one priority right now."

"Then I think I might know where to find her," Coran said grimly.

"Really? How?" Squirtle asked.

"Remember Heatran? When he was all loopy, he thirsted for water, something a Fire and Steel type legendary should never do. What's something a Pokémon specializing in purifying water would never do?"

Monty was at the same speed as everyone else this time as they all slowly turned their gazes to the dark orange waters of Faren Bay.

Squirtle gulped. "Looks like we're going swimming."

* * *

"Ow...ow ow ow..." Azelf rubbed his head. There was a dull pounding in the back of his skull, making him wince from pain. Opening his eyes, he could only see blackness. Believing it to be a trick, he rubbed his eyes, blinked in quick succession, then opened them again. He could still see nothing. Not even his paws in front of his face. "Hello? Is anyone here? Mesprit? Uxie?"

He was alone.

* * *

**By the way, nobody said anything about it, and I don't want a good pun being lost, so did anyone catch the pun in Faren Heights (Fahrenheit) when I first introduced it? Because if nobody did, I would A) be disappointed in Fanfiction's fanbase, and B) feel like I wasted a lot of effort coming up with a name for the place. Review and tell me if you noticed! And also criticism would be good as well also too. K THX BYE.**

**P.S.: The explorers forgot something...**


	23. A Little Rusty

**Fun fact: I actually didn't know this when I wrote the last chapter, but rusty water is actually a thing.**

* * *

_**Chapter 20**_

_**A Little Rusty**_

"You think Suicune is in there?" Monty asked, unimpressed as he stood on the coastline between the yellow sand and the dark orange water.

"Well, I have no solid proof," Coran admitted. "But let's face it. Odds are she's in there."

"I hate to say it, but he's right," Squirtle said grimly. "I am not looking forward to going in there."

"How are we going to find Suicune in that murky water? And is it a health hazard?" Mew asked.

"Wait, we're going IN the water?" Coran asked incredulously. "As in...down? Down into the water? How are we going to breathe?"

Squirtle pulled Coran to the side. "I don't know how it works in your world, but Pokémon can breathe underwater."

"Really?" Coran asked.

"They don't really live underwater, but they can stay under for about two hours with no ill effects."

Coran crossed his arms. "You really like exposition, don't you?"

"Shh! Now's not the time," Squirtle shushed Coran, then almost shouted, "So, no, the rusty water will taste weird, but it's not a health risk."

"Are we going to get going or not?" Shaymin asked impatiently.

Everyone agreed, and stepped into the water together.

"Ugh! It feels so gross!" Mew complained.

Coran opened his eyes, but was afraid to take a breath, despite what Squirtle had said. He held his mouth shut, reluctant to say anything.

"Well, let's get started," Squirtle stated. "If Suicune's down here, she's probably at the bottom of the dungeon."

"Oh, yes, this is a Mystery Dungeon now, isn't it?" Monty realized.

Shaymin sighed. "This water is really nasty..."

Coran noticed a Bronzong with a dazed manner of moving coming up from behind Shaymin. He wanted to say something, but he was afraid to speak for losing his voice. The Bronzong got closer, and nobody seemed to notice. "Shaymin! Behind you!" He yelled.

Shaymin whipped around, and jumped out of the way just as the Bronzong crashed down on the seabed. Everyone watched the Bronzong warily, waiting for any kind of movement. The Bronzong didn't move a muscle. They moved on.

Hallways, rooms, items, stairs. For veterans like them, Mystery Dungeons seemed kind of bland. "It's a bit repetitive, isn't it?" Mew asked as they headed down a set of stairs.

"Well, I feel like we're close to the bottom," Coran said.

"How can you tell?" Mew asked.

"The water pressure's taking its toll on my head."

"Hey, we're heading down stairs, aren't we?" Shaymin asked.

"Yes..." Squirtle said slowly.

"Then what's that?" Shaymin motioned towards a set of stairs going up.

Monty tilted his head in confusion. "That should definitely not be there."

"Should we go up the stairs?" Mew asked.

"We should," Squirtle confirmed.

And as they made their ways up the square set of stairs into the darkness, Coran realized he hadn't taken a breath in the past fifteen minutes.

* * *

The air in the underwater cave was musty. Coran almost gagged as he breathed air for the first time in about fifteen minutes. He couldn't see a thing.

"Here, I'll handle it!" Mew turned into a Litwick, and the flickering flame atop her head cast quivering shadows across the cave wall.

"This is worse," Squirtle grumbled, jumping back as Monty's shadow seemed to reach out to grab her. "Let's just get Suicune and get out."

"Agreed," Coran...agreed. They trudged silently through the cave. Litwick's flame illuminated about four feet in front of the group. That was all it took to see the cave was lined with a layer of rust.

"Don't trip unless you've got tetanus shots, guys," Coran warned.

Nobody was really in the mood to question what a tetanus was, so they just kept walking.

Then they heard sobbing. In a pitch-black cave. It gave Coran chills.

"You hear that, right?" Litwick hissed.

"Everyone hears it, Kitty!" Shaymin snapped.

"My name...is Mew..." Litwick seethed.

The crying was distant, distorted from the irregular shape of the walls. It sounded more like a ghostly wail than a cry, piercing their skulls, embedding its haunting sound into their brains.

Despite their better judgement, they ventured deeper into the cave.

"D'ya think that's Suicune?" Shaymin asked quietly.

"No. Suicune isn't the type to cry. Especially not like that," Litwick stated.

"You know Suicune, Kitty?"

"Stop calling me that."

Coran moved closer to Monty. "There's no hostile Pokémon in this cave...Don't you think that's weird?"

Monty looked down at Coran. "This cave is relatively new. The walls, besides being incredibly rusty from iron deposits in the walls, are soaking wet. This is probably a sort of lava tube to an extinct underwater volcano."

"You know a lot."

"My parents were cartographers."

Squirtle was leading the pack. _This doesn't make sense, _she thought. _Why isn't the one producing light leading?__ What is this place? What is that crying?__ What is that light?_

"It's light!" Coran cheered.

The cave widened out into a bright chamber. Everyone in the group was temporarily blinded for a while. When it wore off, they gawked at what was around them.

They had emerged in a luminescent grotto. The ceiling soared high above the rocky ground below. Fluorescent moss and algae had attached itself to the rusty walls of the cave, creating beautiful lights of blue, red and pink that bounced off the damp cave walls. What looked like whitish pink weeping willows sprouted from the ground, casting their bright glow across the whole chasm. The air was filled with some sort of floating, blinking yellow lights that slowly pulsed while drifting through the air. Small blue mushrooms littered the ground, flashing a soft blue light at the slightest touch. It would've been such a serene place...

...if it wasn't for the sobbing.

It was louder now, the voice somehow being amplified by the large chamber walls. Coran and Monty exchanged worried glances. Maybe the voice wasn't amplified...maybe the source was in this room.

"I think I found something, guys." Mew, back in her original form, announced shakily. Everyone followed her voice to a large field of the glowing blue mushrooms. In the middle of the room was a dark figure, huddled over himself, shaking uncontrollably. His shoulders heaved with every gut-wrenching whimper. There was no doubt; this was the source of the sorrow.

"Should we go see what's got it so down in the mouth?" Shaymin asked.

"I dunno. There's a lot of red flags being waved here," Coran frowned, not sure about the whole thing.

Squirtle began walking toward the figure through the mushrooms. "Hey, hey, are you alright?" She approached him slowly, her voice soft and comforting.

The crying stopped for a moment, then resumed, just as hard as before.

"No need to cry! It's alright! You're safe! You're...Oh God."

"Squirtle!" Monty called from the edge of the mushrooms. "What is it?"

"This crying guy is Azelf!"

"You're kidding!" Mew exclaimed as she flew quickly towards Squirtle. The others followed suit.

"I'm...so scared...it's so dark..." Azelf shivered.

Shaymin looked around in confusion. "It ain't dark. Open your eyes, Azelf!"

Up until this point, Azelf had his head buried into his knees. But slowly, deliberately, he lifted his head. "I can't."

"You can't open your eyes?" Monty asked, a sense of foreboding filling his body.

And Azelf turned around.

"AAAAGH!" Squirtle shrieked, stumbling backwards from the shock of Azelf's face. Coran felt as if he was going to be sick.

Azelf's eyes lacked a sclera. They lacked an iris. They lacked a pupil. Azelf's eyes were completely and utterly black.

"It's so dark..."

"Wh...wh...what the heck happened to you?" Coran cried.

"They took me...They hurt me so much...I didn't..." Azelf winced. "So much pain...I couldn't stand it...I-I-I...I'M THE WILLPOWER POKÈMON FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! WHY COULDN'T I?!"

"Why couldn't you what?" Mew remained relaxed while everyone else covered their ears from Azelf's outburst.

"They hurt me! I was in so much pain, but I couldn't tell! I couldn't! But I did! I told! I di-di-di-did!" Azelf broke into tears again, covering his altered eyes. "They took my willpower! I couldn't stand it! What do I do now? I'm not the willpower Pokémon anymore, am I? I broke! Snapped! Cracked under pressure! They told me I was...they told me I was the...the...Voice." Azelf sobbed.

Coran stiffened. "There's another group out there looking for the Voice?"

"They took my vision! I wasn't the Voice! I told them...I told!"

"What? What did you tell them?" Mew implored.

"I'M NOT SAYING IT AGAIN!" Azelf broke down.

"Squirtle, what do we do?" Coran asked, turning to her.

"Well, it's pretty obvious this new group isn't as morally correct as we are." Monty frowned.

"Guys...Shaymin's gone," Mew hung her head.

* * *

**Yes, it's the shortest chapter yet. I apologize profusely. But since most people post only one respectably big chapter a week, You're basically getting  
****13, 000 words a week from me. I'll try to make the next day's chapter bigger.**


	24. Team Vigilante

**No, Azelf is still the Willpower Pokémon. He's just really upset because the embodiment of Willpower was weak enough to crack under torture. He's pretty young, guys. Cut him some slack!**

* * *

_**Chapter 21**_

_**Team Vigilante**_

"Shaymin!" Squirtle called, her voice reverberating off of the grotto walls. No response.

"They've got her..." Azelf murmured. "There's nothing we can do now...not until they're finished with her."

"What do you mean, 'finished with her'?" Squirtle asked, concerned.

"Look at me," Azelf said bitterly. "What do you think I mean?"

"We've gotta find Shaymin, then!" Coran exclaimed. "Does anyone know where she could've gone?"

"We might be able to follow these drag marks in the dirt," Monty said, pointing at said marks.

Coran looked on, his heart sinking lower and lower as he realized that someone right behind them was taken behind their backs. Slowly, he nodded, and began to follow the frantic-looking marks in the ground.

"Azelf...Who are these Pokémon?" Squirtle asked carefully.

Azelf, following their voices, answered. "They called themselves Team Vigilante. I could see a Charizard on their team; he was the one who got me. The others...I didn't see, because one of them took my sight. I...I hope I get it back..."

"Do you know why they took you?" Monty questioned.

"They were talking about the Voice. How they thought I was the Voice. Maybe that's why they took Shaymin."

"Why would they take Shaymin?"

"Because they think that any Legendary is capable of having the Voice."

The four explorers were silent for a moment.

Azelf became a bit suspicious. "...What? Why are you all so quiet?"

"...Well, um," Squirtle stumbled over her words. "We...we were kind of doing the same thing."

"A more pacifist method, mind you!" Monty corrected frantically.

"Mew came to us one day, and she wanted us to help. She said that we were special or something," Coran explained.

"I said _you_ were special, Coran. Squirtle and Monty are capable. That's why they're helping me," Mew said.

"Guys...I hear crying." Azelf perked his head up.

The realization hit Squirtle like a ton of bricks. "No...no no no no no! Hurry!"

The group began sprinting along the tracks Shaymin made while she was being dragged off into the darkness. Eventually, they came to a clearing.

"I'm beginning to get tired of your antics, bush ball," A deep, gravelly voice threatened from the other side.

"Do all of you see that?" Monty whispered, motioning towards the flickering light reflecting off of the wet walls of the cavern. They simply nodded.

"Aagh!" They heard Shaymin yelp in pain. "I-I don't even know what this Voice thing is!"

"You LIAR!" A separate, but still deep voice roared. Coran heard Shaymin cry out again.

"What do we do?" Coran mouthed to the others.

Monty peeked around the corner.

"Hold on...we have company," Another, much silkier voice called. Monty darted back from behind the wall, smacking his head in frustration.

"I'll sniff 'em out," The first voice said.

"No," Squirtle announced to the shock of everyone else. "I'll come out myself."

She motioned for everyone else to stay behind the wall, and stepped out into the open.

"Smart move," the second voice growled. "Resistance would've lost you some brownie points, puppy."

"There was another with you," The third voice said smoothly. "Bring them out too."

Squirtle held his gaze for a while, then grimaced convincingly. She glanced over at Monty, looking defeated, and jerked her head. Monty got the signal and slowly made his way over.

* * *

Squirtle was terrified. In front of her stood an Alakazam, a Charizard, a Tyranitar and a badly hurt Shaymin. Shaymin was unable to even glance upwards, hanging her head.

"There was another with you," Alakazam said slowly. "Bring them out too."

Squirtle decided that they didn't need to know about Coran, Mew or Azelf. He had probably spotted Monty, so finally, she hung her head, as if she was caught, looked over to Monty, smiled apologetically, and jerked her head to tell him to come. Monty, a doubtful look on his face, slowly made his way over to where Squirtle was standing.

"I'm sorry we decided to hide," Squirtle bowed her head low.

"What should we do? Silence 'em?" The Tyranitar asked the Alakazam. Squirtle stiffened in fear.

"Tyranitar! We are not savages." Alakazam chided, ignoring the fact that Shaymin was shivering, burned black from whatever Charizard decided to do to her. "We don't hurt anyone unless we have to. Now, if you don't mind me asking, what are your names and what are you doing down here?"

"My name is Squirtle, and this is Monty," Squirtle introduced. "We're here because Suicune has gone missing, and we're looking for her."

"Mmm." Alakazam nodded. "And why have you tried to fool me into thinking that it is just you and Monty here? Bring out the rest of your group."

Squirtle stiffened yet again. _Crap._ She looked over at Coran, Azelf and Mew, and slowly motioned for them to come out.

"Do we silence 'em yet?" Tyranitar asked impatiently.

"No." Alakazam said.

Charizard scrutinized the group. "Hey, boss. They've got Azelf with them. And Mew, too."

Alakazam did not break his gaze with Squirtle. "So...You lied to us about how many of you there were, and you've been hiding a legendary. Tell me, are you really down here to find Suicune?"

"Yes, we are," Squirtle bowed her head low again, as if it would keep Alakazam from getting angry. With his tone, it was hard to tell. "But we have not been hiding legendaries."

"In case you forgot, you already beat me to a pulp and _took my vision!_" Azelf seethed, venom dripping from his voice.

"Isn't that the Azelf we got yesterday?" Charizard asked, as calmly as if he was asking whether it was three o'clock or not.

"I believe so. Why do you have him with you?"

_Don't talk about my siblings._ Squirtle thought, though the thought wasn't hers. She saw Azelf nod out of the corner of her eye, and she understood. "We came down here because Shaymin told us that the wilting Drasil roots turned Faren Bay rusty, and Suicune, the only one who could purify the water had disappeared. After searching the surrounding area for her, Coran, the Riolu, said that she was probably in the ocean. We came down here, and Shaymin saw stairs leading up in a Mystery Dungeon going down. We came up the stairs, and came across a grotto. We found Azelf, robbed of sight, sobbing in the middle of a mushroom patch. He claims that you three did this to him. Is that true?" Squirtle asked, deciding to see if she could turn the tables and go on the offensive.

"We are Team Vigilante. We have taken it upon ourselves to find and eliminate the Voice that plagues each Pokémon's mind. Have you heard of this Voice?"

Squirtle nodded, grateful that the rest of her team had the sense to keep silent. "We are undergoing the same mission. This is why we have Mew with us. She reads the minds of Pokémon, and tells us whether they are the Voice or not." Squirtle continued to tell Alakazam how they had narrowed the culprit down to certain legendaries.

"You have a mind reader on your team...I envy you," Alakazam said, smiling good-naturedly. "I was never able to learn how to read minds. I always thought it was a bit too...intrusive," He stated, looking at Mew. She was suddenly looking a lot more nervous.

"Squirtle...I'm kind of scared..." Mew mumbled, looking at Squirtle.

"Hey, boss. Couldn't we get the pink thing to scan the bush ball to see if she's clean or not?"

"Not so fast," Alakazam said. "Squirtle...how do you know Mew's telling you everything?"

"I-I'm not quite sure what you mean," Squirtle stammered.

"Do you trust Mew?"

"Yes, we do. All of us."

"Hmm. Alright. Charizard, is Shaymin innocent?"

Charizard looked at the now black ball on the ground. She wasn't moving. "Yeah. She's clean."

Coran couldn't take it. "She's good? She's _good?!_ Look at her! She's burned to a crisp! What do you think you're doing!? This isn't right! You took Azelf's sight! What does that have to do with the Voice?" He shouted. Squirtle gave him a look that told him to shut up. He did so, but was still breathing heavily.

"The confiscation of Azelf's sight was merely part of the interrogation process, as is the unfortunate slight injury of Shaymin. We cannot read minds. If a Pokémon is unconscious, however, they cannot project the Voice," Alakazam reasoned. "I simply forgot to return Azelf's sight to him. Here."

Azelf's eyes returned to normal. "G-gah!"

"I apologize, Azelf," Alakazam said, agonizingly calmly.

"D-don't apologize...to me. Apologize to that...that poor, charred, broken innocent creature that you brutally tortured!" Azelf screamed in rage, pointing at Shaymin.

Shaymin began to move. "A-argh...No, I'm...I'm fine. I'll just..." She tried to stand up, her feet shaking beneath her. "Let's...let's get going...whaddaya say? We still need...to find Suicune..."

Coran felt like crying. The display before him was pitiful. Shaymin, barely eight inches tall, was trying to walk towards them. A simple action complicated by the multiple burn wounds littered around her body. She stumbled, and Squirtle ran to help her. But what was most disgusting about the scene is that none of Team Vigilante seemed remotely remorseful. They had an apathetic look on all of their faces, as if scorching a Pokémon and watching it try to walk was part of the job. _Who knows, _Coran thought caustically, _maybe it is.__  
_

"Are you sure you're okay?" Squirtle asked, supporting Shaymin on her way over.

"Oh, yeah...Gimme about five...minutes of rest, and I'll be rearing at the gate," Shaymin winced.

"Do we have any Rawst Berries?" Squirtle asked, looking at her team.

"I have one," Alakazam offered.

Squirtle didn't even turn to look at him. "I don't want your help."

"I've got a Rawst Berry," Mew floated over to Squirtle, handing her the pale blue fruit.

Monty started rummaging through his bag. "If she needs it, I've got some Sitrus."

"I think I might need some of that," Squirtle mumbled, before handing Shaymin both kinds of berries. "Here, it'll help."

Coran turned away from Team Vigilante, who hadn't moved since Shaymin started walking. "Let's get out of here."

Shaymin nodded. "Let's bounce."

Squirtle and the rest of them turned to walk out of the cave. Coran turned back to give one final scathing glare, but they had already settled down, eating apples and talking amongst themselves.

It made him sick.

* * *

"Thank you. Really, I mean that. Even you, Kitty," Shaymin smirked.

Mew crossed her arms. "If you were really thankful, you'd call me by my real name," she grumbled.

"Okay, fine. Thank you Mew," Shaymin enunciated each word.

"You're welcome. And don't worry. We're going to find Suicune. I promise," Squirtle said.

"We must be heading back now," Monty interrupted. "It's getting quite dark."

Coran looked at the purple sky, and agreed. They began the walk south. Monty and Mew began having an animated discussion about whether a Sitrus Berry or a Mago Berry was more effective. Squirtle pulled Coran to the side.

"Coran, I'm a bit worried."

"What is it?"

"It's about Mew."

Coran looked over at Mew, who was busy trying to prove her point that Mago Berries just plain tasted better to Monty. "What about her?"

"She...she got us into something that I don't think we're ready for."

"What, the Xerneas and Yveltal thing? The Voice thing?"

Squirtle nodded. "What I've seen...it's terrifying. Azelf had his vision taken...Heatran was for all intents and purposes possessed...You were frozen solid, and then tried to kill me...I don't know if I'm ready. I'm just an entrepreneur! I'm not a hero!"

Coran was silent for a moment. Finally, he spoke. "You think you're not good enough?"

"I'm just an Eevee, Coran. I'm...I'm nothing special," Squirtle hung her head.

Coran was again silent, thinking about what to say. "I wasn't born knowing I was going to be turned into a Riolu and thrust into a world of Pokémon."

Squirtle gave him a confused look. "I thought you didn't remember a lot."

"Well, I'm guessing. But anyways...I never expected this to happen. I didn't expect to join a business. I didn't prepare to comfort a woman who's suffered a loss. I didn't know I'd be fighting against a fire-spewing entity. But I did. I did all of those things."

"I think I see where you're going," Squirtle nodded slowly.

"My point is, nobody is born a hero. Nobody real, anyways. It's what we do, how we roll with the punches, or not roll with the punches, that makes or breaks us as a hero. This...what we're doing...you can't prepare for it. But if you think it's the right thing to do, and you do it, no matter how hard it seems to be...that's pretty heroic. You were willing to get real close to Team Vigilante just to help Shaymin. You were willing to help Mew with a problem that's bigger than all of us. You were willing to take in a complete stranger that you met in a field. A stranger with partial amnesia, no less. You may not think yourself as a hero. But...Ah, lost it. That was really cheesy..."

"No, I get it," Squirtle shook her head, smiling sadly. Then she started laughing. "Y'know, Coran, you could make a living as a counselor."

Coran smiled. "Maybe I could. But this comes first."

"AAUGH!" Monty screamed.

"What is it?!" Squirtle ran up to him, ready to confront whatever had come up. Monty, with a shaking vine, simply pointed at the horizon. Coran followed the trail, and stopped in his tracks.

There, on the horizon, was Nuzlocke, up in flames.


	25. Burn, Baby, Burn

**Hello once again audience! When we left off, it hit the fan.**

* * *

**_Chapter 22_**

**_Burn, Baby, Burn_**

Coran could not take his eyes off of the burning town. His mind was flooded with thoughts. _What? How? Why? Who did this? Is the business okay? Is everyone okay? What do we do? Can we put it out? Is anyone trying? Why are we standing here?!_

Squirtle wasn't. She dashed off toward Nuzlocke, not knowing what would become of her when she did. The others, exchanging a quick glance, followed.

* * *

Squirtle's eyes were burning. Her lungs were filling up with smoke, screaming for clean air. Her brain didn't even give her a reason to be here. But she was.

Looking around the flaming town, Squirtle's eyes began to water for a different reason. Everywhere she looked, buildings were falling, houses were smoldering, Pokémon were getting hurt. She almost did not notice the unrelenting heat that pressed in on her from all sides.

Almost.

"Squirtle! What are you doing?!" Coran's voice rang out in the red-hot inferno. She faintly saw Coran's wavering outline in the heat.

"Coran!" She yelled, unable to answer his question.

Coran rushed through the fire to her side. He was furious. "What are you thinking, dashing into the fire?! What good is that going to do? We've got to get out of here!"

Squirtle felt empty. Her town was burning to the ground. She couldn't leave. "We have to-" she coughed. "We have to help!"

Coran tugged on Squirtle's front paw. "I don't have time to argue, and neither do you! We need to get out!"

"We have _cough_ we have to help!"

Coran stopped. "How?"

"We could..." Squirtle hacked, trying to clear her throat of the smoke. "We can put...put out-"_  
_

"No, Squirtle. Mew's doing the best she can with that. But we can't do anything. Now we need to get _out_ of this _fire_ before we-" Coran began to wheeze. "Before we asphyxiate!"

Squirtle screwed up her face. She was defeated. "Which way's out?"

Coran stiffened. "I-I, um..." He looked around, covering his mouth as he coughed again. "It's...It's this way."

Squirtle stayed silent as she followed Coran's uncertain path through the flames. He ran past building after building, sometimes swerving to the left or right. After five long minutes of doing this, Squirtle began to get suspicious.

"...Coran...do you...really know where...you're going?" Her voice was raspy from inhaling smoke.

Coran didn't reply. He simply waved off Squirtle's comment and kept fighting through the fire and flames. His pace slowing to a stumble, he kept on for as long as he could. Then he saw something he recognized.

The business.

Coran's voice was hauntingly calm. "I...I could use a sleep about n-about here..." He choked, and stumbled into the business.

"C-Coran! What are-" Squirtle interrupted herself with a fit of coughing. "What are you doing?!"

Coran turned around, his eyes indifferent. "Nobody values...sleep anymore."

Squirtle had seen that look before. She'd seen it in Faren Heights. He was delirious. "Wake up!" She shouted, and slapped him across the face. "C'mon, we're almost out!"

Coran slowly came to. "I...I'm fine...Let's go."

The business was on the outskirts of town anyways, right next to those boring, plain fields where she first found Coran. The two of them finally made it out of the burning inferno of Nuzlocke. They were away from heat and fire.

Or so they thought.

* * *

"Mew, do you see them anywhere?" Monty called as he followed the Blastoise through Nuzlocke.

"Not yet," Blastoise grunted as he pumped water through the cannons on his back. "Why would Squirtle just run in there anyways? It's so astoundingly stupid!"

"Don't be too harsh, Mew," Monty said. "She felt like she had to help."

"Well, everyone else seems to have evacuated," Blastoise commented, noting the lack of life around her. "Evacuated, or burned to a crisp."

"What?!" Monty exclaimed, horrified.

"I've only seen one, Monty. A Breloom,"

Monty stopped walking. "Marvin..." His eyes wide, he hung his head.

"What, you knew him?"

"He...Well, yes. I knew him. He...I suppose he trusted me, which is saying a lot for Marvin...because he came to me to complain about anything. The last time I talked to him was about the Drasil roots...I can't believe it," Monty lamented.

"Don't believe it just yet..." A sullen voice came from behind Monty, scaring the bejeebers out of him.

"M-Marvin!" Monty cried as his heart rate began to slow down. "I thought you were dead!"

The charred-black Breloom merely looked at Monty with a skeptical expression. "Do you honestly think life would give me sweet release that easily?" he sighed. "Have I taught you nothing?"

"Monty...I think you might want to see this..." Blastoise called, quite a ways ahead of him.

"What, did you find Coran and Squirtle?"

"Yes, but that's not what I'm talking about."

Monty walked up to Mew, now in her original form. She pointed, and as he directed his gaze, he said, "Then what are you talking ab- Oh."

Squirtle and Coran were here. They were breathing heavily, Squirtle still coughing smoke out of his lungs. Coran had a bit of a welt on his cheek. But that was not what Mew was pointing at.

The villagers of Nuzlocke were here. They had gathered on the once boring and unassuming plains. By the looks of it, everyone was accounted for, which was good. Or bad. Really, it depends on your opinion on the villagers of Nuzlocke. But that was not what Mew was pointing at.

She was pointing at the thing that everyone in the area that used to be a field. The thing that took everybody by surprise.

She was pointing at a volcano.

* * *

The town restoration project was going well. Rain came not thirty minutes after everyone evacuated, so that helped put out the fires. So far, there were quite a few injuries, but no casualties, which was good. Or bad. The essential establishments were nearly completely restored. The stock of Banette's Bazaar was mostly destroyed, but Banette was hard at work exploring to restock. Squirtle had donated two of her Treasure Bags to help him restock faster. In return, Shuppet helped them restore their business, which had nearly burned to the ground.

"Wow..." Squirtle shook her head. "Shuppet, were you here when this happened?"

"Yeah," Shuppet nodded, dragging out what looked like a hodgepodge of fabric and moss stitched together out from under some wooden beams. "What is this thing?"

Coran looked over to what she was referring to while dragging the remnants of the interior bulletin board outside. "It's a mattress. You sleep on it."

"Oh," Shuppet looked at it in confusion. "Well, anyways, I was here, sitting at the counter as usual, when I heard a rumbling. I thought it was an earthquake, but since I'm...y'know...floating...I didn't think I had to worry about it too much. But then it didn't stop. It went on for a full seven minutes or so. There were people screaming about something rising up out of the ground or something. I was curious, but I had to 'man my station', so to speak. And then fire rained down from the sky."

"The volcano erupted?" Monty asked.

"That's what I think," Shuppet confirmed.

"So the volcano just...rose up out of the ground?"

"I didn't see it, so I don't know. But that's what Pokémon around town are saying. Do volcanoes even work that way?" Shuppet wondered. "Do you require any additional assistance, my amiable acquaintance?"

"Don't do that, that's my thing!" Mew called from the office as she was trying to salvage business files that weren't completely destroyed.

"No, I think you're good. Thanks, Shuppet," said Squirtle.

"No prob. See you later!" Shuppet called as she went out the door.

"A volcano, huh?" Coran asked, dropping the bulletin board outside. "Do you think this might have to do with the Drasil roots?"

Monty shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure. The Drasil roots wilting seem to make certain areas change or lose properties. But this is the first time they've actually created something. It hasn't happened before, so it either isn't caused by the wilting, or the state of the Drasil is worse than we thought."

"Hey, Coran," Squirtle called down from the ceiling as she checked any standing beams for stability. "Weren't those the fields where I found you?"

"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard this story. You found Coran?" Monty wondered.

Squirtle was about to start, but Coran was mouthing the words 'not yet' while shaking his head frantically. "I found him unconscious on those fields a while back. Not much of a story, really," Squirtle said. She gave a bit of a sideways glare to Coran, trying to non-verbally tell him she did not like lying.

Coran just shook his head helplessly.

"Hey, guys?" Mew came back into the main room. "Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Coran asked.

"That itching in the back of your heads. I'm wondering if it's just me."

Squirtle didn't realize it until now, but it was true. Ever since they had seen the volcano, or maybe before that, there was a bit of a stinging itch at the back of her head. "Wh-what is that?" Squirtle asked uncomfortably, trying to itch it.

"Don't try," Mew shook her head at Squirtle. "I've tried already. And I think I know what's making it."

"Well, what is it? Don't leave us hanging!"

"It's the Voice. It's getting stronger."


	26. Questioning Morals

**Those plains where Squirtle found Coran do not have a name, no. I might take suggestions...But maybe not.**

* * *

_**Chapter 23**_

_**Questioning Morals**_

"It looks pretty good, doesn't it?" Coran asked, crossing his arms as he stood outside the newly restored...business. "Squirtle, stop putting off the naming of your business!"

"I'm sorry! I want the name to be perfect!" Squirtle yelled from inside as she rushed out to inspect the building.

Monty agreed with Coran, changing the subject. "For one day of work, it does look quite good."

"We weren't able to replace the bulletin board inside the building though," said Coran.

Squirtle looked at him with an amused glint in her eyes. "Did anybody really understand what that thing was for?"

There was a resounding no around the three others.

Mew frowned. "On a more serious topic, the Voice is definitely getting stronger. I don't like where this is going."

"Neither do I, Mew, neither do I," Monty shook his head.

"And what about that volcano just...appearing right next to Nuzlocke?" Coran looked over at the monstrous mountain.

"Well, everything's getting worse, that's for sure," Squirtle hung her head.

"Alright...so what do we do now?" Monty asked.

"Shouldn't we explore that volcano...?" Coran wondered.

Squirtle shook her head. "Oh, no. We are not going into a volatile volcano 'just coz'. For now, it's back to business as usual."

"Business as...usual...?" Monty trailed, before remembering they actually ran a business. "Oh, yes! Business as usual!"

They all looked at the bulletin board set up outside, and their jaws instantly dropped.

It was chock full of papers.

"Holy Murkrow!" Squirtle gaped.

Monty went in for a closer look, probably to choose a mission. He stopped, however. "Ah, Squirtle?"

"What?" Squirtle walked over to the bulletin board.

"All of these papers are requesting us to explore the volcano."

Squirtle laughed uncertainly. "No, there's got to be at least one that...that..." Squirtle began digging through the papers more and more frantically as her search proved more and more fruitless.

_Explore the Volcano! Find out why the Volcano's here! Explore the Volcano! Volcano! Volcano! Volcano!_

"AAGH!" Squirtle roared in frustration. She ripped every single flyer off the bulletin board and stuffed them into her treasure bag. "C'mon. At least we'll get a huge reward since all of these Pokémon are asking us to do the same stupid thing."

* * *

The volcano (it wasn't named yet) was what you'd expect. A huge mound of earth threatening to spew lava at any point in time. It reached quite high into the stratosphere, and was also quite steep. Nonetheless, the team was asked by everyone and their mother to explore the volcano, so explore the volcano they would.

"I'll say this now to save time later. I do not like this," Monty grumbled. "It seems hot places are all we ever venture to anymore."

"Well, we're going to get upwards of fifty thousand Poké from this, so you'd better buck up and buckle down. We're going up," Squirtle announced.

They began their trek upwards. Luckily, although obviously caused by the Drasil roots, the volcano had not been turned into a Mystery Dungeon yet, so the team didn't have to deal with the annoyances of that.

What they did have to deal with was the fact that it was extremely steep. And hot.

Coran wiped his brow. "Y'know, I'm gonna have to agree with Monty. I don't like this."

"Oh, come on! This is nice!" Mew cheered, doing a loop-de-loop in the air.

"Shut up!" Coran snapped. "You can fly!"

"Extreme conditions seem to make you quite irritable, Coran," Monty said quietly.

"Hey...if this volcano erupted just a while ago, shouldn't there be tonnes of lava flowing down this side? For something that erupted not even a day ago, I feel like this is kind of tame," said Squirtle.

"Don't _say_ that!" Coran scolded.

Squirtle looked at him, confused. "What? Why?"

"It's a known fact that if someone says, 'Oh, this is way too easy', things are gonna get a lot harder fast!" Coran ranted.

As if on cue, the volcano shook under their feet. All of them got ready to bolt down the mountain in case of an eruption, but nothing happened. The shaking stopped, and after a while, they continued their trek up the mountain.

Nearing the summit of the volcano, Monty spoke up. "Alright, so what do we expect to find when we're up there?"

"Maybe a crater with lava in it?" Mew said sarcastically.

"I don't want to be unprepared!" Monty protested.

"Can...can we stop and take a breather?" Coran panted.

"Goodness, Coran! You're the Fighting type, supposed to be able to traverse mountains, plural, in a single night, and you're the most exhausted out of all of us!" Squirtle chided. "But...yeah. I'm kind of tired too. Let's stop for a bit."

So they did. Squirtle brought out Sitrus berries from her treasure bag, much to Monty's delight. He and Squirtle introduced the other two to it's sour-sweet powerful taste. They weren't ready for it.

"W-w-wow!" Coran shuddered. "T-tha-that's really s-so-something!"

Mew said nothing. She finished her berry in record time. Monty and Squirtle exchanged knowing glances.

After finishing their meal, all of them were bursting with energy and ready to bolt up the remainder of the red mountain.

Squirtle looked back at the field that the volcano rose up from. _I guess I can't come here to think anymore..._

"Oh my," Monty gaped as he came up to the crater. "I...I'll be honest, I did not expect this."

"What, is something wrong again?" Squirtle started to run up next to him. The last time this happened, Nuzlocke was on fire.

"No, not wrong...well, I don't think it is," Monty corrected himself.

"Oh," Squirtle now sounded just as confused as Monty. Curious, Mew and Coran gave each other a look and hurried up beside Squirtle and Monty. What they saw shocked them too.

"Suicune!?" Coran stood, flabbergasted.

Suicune was indeed there. She was sitting on the edge of the crater of the volcano, facing away from them. Her ears perked up, and she looked back at the group.

"Don't come any closer!" Suicune yelled. "You'll regret it! Trust me!"

Squirtle took a step forward. "We've been looking everywhere for you! Where did you disappear to?"

"Here! Don't come any closer! I'm serious! You won't get out!"

Monty also took a step forward, much to Suicune's apparent annoyance. "What did I just say? Are you deaf?"

"But...you couldn't have been here; it just rose up from the ground!" Monty pointed out.

Coran had the good sense to stay back from Suicune, but this issue confused him too.

"I can't explain right now...I-I have to keep going..." Suicune's voice wavered, and she hunched down, moving her paws to and fro.

"What are you doing?" Coran asked.

"I...I'm trying to buy my life back," Suicune said quietly.

"What? What do you mean by-" Coran was interrupted by a yowl.

"Oh, no, not again!" Suicune cried.

"Trespassers! Infadiles!" A Persian cried as it slowly stalked across the edge of the crater. "I sue you for that! You owe one million Poké!"

Squirtle was aghast. "Who are you talking to? _How much do I owe?_"_  
_

"Just a minute, he's talking to us?" Monty questioned.

"I told you not to come closer!" Suicune looked back at them, annoyed.

"Come here now!" The Persian screeched.

Squirtle and Monty sheepishly made their way to the Persian. "I am terribly sorry for trespassing, and-" Squirtle began, but was interrupted.

"You give me million Poké now!"

"We don't have a million Poké, do we?" said Monty.

"We don't have any Poké," Squirtle replied grimly. "I left it all at the business."

The Persian's face had an apathetic expression, but its voice said otherwise. "What? You have no Poké? Then you must work for Aldolpho!"

"Wait, what?" Mew chuckled. "Is that your name?"

"Can he not see us?" Coran tilted his head, staring at...Aldolpho, apparently.

Squirtle shook her head. "I have Poké, but it's back down the volcano. If you'll just let me get it, I'd be happy to pay-"

"NO!" Aldolpho screamed. "If you cannot pay now, you work! Do what Suicune do!" Aldolpho pointed at the Suicune, who gave them a sorrowful glance.

Monty leaned over to Squirtle. "I don't like this..."

The Persian stalked off behind a rock formation, then came back with what looked like two small machines with screens on them.

"You play the game. When you win million Poké, you go free," Aldolpho spat. "Play."

They sat down on the rocky ground, and began to play what looked like a gambling game.

"It's rigged," Suicune said sadly. "I told you two not to come any closer! Those two listened! Why didn't you?"

"I...I thought you were in trouble," Squirtle apologized.

Suicune huffed, and swiped her paw over what looked to Monty like slots. "I am in trouble, but there was nothing you could do about it. Now you're in trouble too."

"How much Poké do you have saved up?" Monty asked, curious.

"Eight thousand," Suicune sighed.

Squirtle noticed that they started out with five thousand Poké. "You've only earned three thousand? How long have you been here?" Squirtle followed up.

"I've been playing this game for three days non-stop. And-" Suicune's eyes took a dead look. "Scratch that. I only have four thousand Poké."

"Wh-what?! But you're playing slots! How can you lose four thousand in one go?"

"The cost goes up the more money you have. I told you, it's rigged. We're never getting out of here."

* * *

Mew frowned, looking at the Persian. "Something's off about him," she said.

"Forget Aldollface, what about Squirtle? Monty? Suicune? What are we going to do about them?"

"He's gone, I know that..." Mew said, just above a whisper.

"What?!" Coran exclaimed, horrified.

Mew turned to him frantically waving her arms. "No, no, no, I don't mean Monty. I mean Aldollface or whatever his name was."

"What do you mean by 'he's gone', then?" Coran asked, trying to calm down.

Mew turned back to the three Pokémon bargaining their lives back. "His conscience. It's gone."

"No, it can't be! He spoke!" Coran protested.

"Remember Heatran? He spoke, too."

"Well...all Heatran ever said was that he was thirsty! This guy's speaking in full sentences!"

"Not quite. He's mincing his words. And normally, I'd chalk it up to stupidity, but I know this Pokémon. He's a casino owner. That's where he got the machines from. But there are two things that don't match up. First of all, I've already pointed out that his sentences aren't normally cut up like that. Secondly, he runs a casino. So why is he at the summit of a volcano?"

"Okay, so what do we do?" Coran asked.

Mew sighed. "This is going to sound overly brutal, but...we'll have to kill him."

Coran didn't give her an answer. He just stared at her, horrified, hoping she wasn't serious.

"Oh, I'm serious, Coran. Remember, the Voice can only take control once the conscience is gone. And remember the Beautifly? Remember what happened when the Voice stopped? There's nothing we can do for Aldollface now. And Suicune's been here for three days. The games are rigged, and let's face it, even if they weren't, Monty's a terrible gambler."

"Killing him? Is...is that the only way?" Coran sounded like he was about to cry. "I'm only sixteen! I can't be labeled a murderer!"

"It...it's not murder if he's already gone," Mew said. Coran knew it was hard, but he understood.

Coran heaved his shoulders, resigned. "So...how are we going to do it, then?" _Oh, God, I feel like a murderer just talking about this!_

"I'm thinking pushing him into the lava," Mew's lack of empathy was disturbing to Coran.

_But, _he reasoned, _she must have convinced herself that he's already dead. I guess to her it's like talking about getting rid of a corpse...Ugh...That does not make me feel better..._

"We can't just up and push him into the lava, though. Squirtle and the others would be mortified. They'd think we're murderers."

"Don't worry," Mew said. "I'll tell them. Through mind messages, since I can't step on the crater."

She closed her eyes. Coran looked over at the three other Pokémon, and one by one, they looked at Mew with varying expressions. Shock, disgust, sadness, and finally, resignation. All three of them nodded solemnly.

"Alright. They know," Mew announced to Coran. "When Aldolpho makes his next round, we'll...we do it."

"O...okay," Coran was still upset about this whole thing.

"The Voice is getting stronger, Coran. Things are only going to get worse," Mew said grimly as she watched Aldolpho make his final round.

She and Coran stepped out onto the rocky crater.

"Trespassers! Infadiles!" Aldolpho yelled, running towards them. This time, however, he was met with brute force. He was shoved backwards, towards the boiling lava. Nonetheless, he continued talking. "I sue you for that! You owe one million Poké!"

"Is it going to be quick, Mew?"

"Yes, Coran. It'll be quick."

Coran closed his eyes, a tear dripping down his face and onto the ground as he gave a final shove. Aldolpho, with a blank expression, fell to his death.

Coran peeked over the edge of the crater. "Oh...Oh, God!" He hid his head in his hands.

Monty, Suicune and Squirtle made their way over. "Don't cry, Coran..." Squirtle tried to comfort him. "It...It was necessary...It was going to happen anyways, right?...Right?"

Mew nodded. "He was already dead. He was a tool for the Voice. An empty shell."

"We have to stop it! Before it claims any more lives!" Monty yelled determinedly.

Squirtle scratched the back of her skull. "The itch...it's still there."

"We're fine...for now," Mew said solemnly, looking over the crater one last time.

* * *

"I'll be off then," Suicune announced at the bottom of the volcano. "I have to purify Faren Bay's waters."

"Alright, Suicune. It was nice meeting you, even under those...unlucky circumstances," Squirtle chuckled lightly.

Suicune bounded off, leaving the four Pokémon to reflect on that day's mission.

"Well," Monty tried. "We got upwards of twenty thousand Poké for it..."

"That doesn't change the fact that I basically killed someone." Bitterness and regret filled Coran's voice.

Squirtle nudged him. "Let's hope we never have to do that again, then."

Mew looked at them darkly. "And prepare in case we do."

* * *

**There are no spelling mistakes in this chapter. ****That's the Voice talking. And yes, I named Aldolpho after someone. A lot of my characters are named after someone. I wonder how many of you have guessed Monty's namesake? (NO, it isn't Monty Python.) Also, yay! Long chapter!**


	27. Perlexing Problem

**There was a clue in the last chapter...did you find it?**

* * *

_**Chapter 24**_

_**Perlexing Problem**_

"Hey! I think I found something on a Legendary we can track down!" Coran yelled, rushing in through the front door of the business.

Monty sighed. "And to think...this morning started off so well..."

"Shh, Monty. There's no conflict this time! The area isn't affected by the Drasil roots or by the melting of consciences in any way!" Coran cheered.

Mew raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't that mean that it's due for a big ol' storm of chaos?"

Coran rolled his eyes. "You know, pessimists are never disappointed."

"Okay, okay. Let's hear what Coran has to say," Squirtle chided.

"Alright," Coran took a deep breath. "I overheard this place called Perlex Forest close to the east of here. As I said, it's not affected by Xerneas or Yveltal's absence. And there's apparently a Legendary there, too."

"Okay..." Squirtle said slowly. "What I'm wondering, is why we haven't ever even heard of Perlex Forest before."

Coran really got into his explanation. "That's the most interesting part! Apparently, as soon as you exit or look away from Perlex Forest, you forget all about it!"

"Then how did you overhear someone talking about it?" Mew asked.

"Beats me," Coran shrugged. "I guess someone wrote it down or something.

"And there's a Legendary Pokémon there?" Monty asked.

"Mm hmm," Coran confirmed. "I'd say we should go there now."

"I'd have to agree," Squirtle nodded. "Sorry, Monty. I guess we aren't doing business as usual today, either."

Monty sighed.

* * *

Perlex Forest stood in front of them like a huge vegetative wall. Coran had to wonder how exactly someone would be able to forget about something like this. Squirtle made the executive decision to sleep on it, and get there early in the morning. So the sun was rising on the other side of the forest. The trees were set quite low, so the rising sun gave them a light glow. But this glow was strange; it was pink. The leaves were obviously green, but the luminescence the sun gave them was a soft shade of fuchsia. Coran looked back at Squirtle.

"Are we going in, Coran?" Squirtle asked.

"What are you talking about? Going where?" Coran wondered what Squirtle was talking about.

"The forest behind you," Squirtle said.

Coran turned around, and the memories came flooding back. "Oh, yeah. I guess the forgetting thing was true, then."

"Let's, ah, not look away from this forest while we're in there," Monty suggested.

Mew nodded. "Good idea. Let's go."

And so, at the dawn of the first day, the four Pokémon entered Perlex Forest.

* * *

"Wow...It's so beautiful!" Coran gasped.

Inside the forest, the sun was completely blotted out. But the flora provided plenty of light. The flowers seemed to glow a bright orange, the grass shined a dazzling shade of purple. Coran didn't know this kind of mixing of colours was possible. _Green grass glowing purple?_

Squirtle nodded. "I love it..." She, too, was completely taken with the amazing palette of hues painting the forest. Dappled light coming from who knew where shaded the ground, making breathtaking patterns on the ground.

"I think I might cry," Monty breathed. It was quiet here. There were no other Pokémon in sight. Everything was completely and utterly still, the only sounds being the soft rustle of the grass beneath their feet. The warm wind blew lightly on his face, providing a fresh breeze.

Mew said nothing. She soaked in the smells of flowers, honey, fruit, everything. It was so relaxing, this aroma. Closing her eyes to fully appreciate the scents that surrounded her, she inhaled deeply, and let out a sigh.

Squirtle stopped. "Let's just...sit here and enjoy it, huh, guys?"

Everyone agreed, and sitting down, gazed lazily at the forest around them.

"I love it here..." Squirtle whispered.

Slowly, but definitely, their memories of the outside world were suffocated by the intake of the beautiful, breathtaking Perlex Forest.

* * *

Celebi watched through the branches of a nearby tree at the new travelers. She giggled. _There they go...Bye bye, memories!__  
_

Settling down in the nest of branches and leaves, she rested her chin in her hands as the four Pokémon's expressions slowly became more and more glazed over. Then the Riolu looked at her. She gasped. _What should I do? Do I pretend I'm part of the-_

The Riolu looked away. _Good. He's gone. Well...I'm starved._

* * *

Coran saw something in the trees. He grew curious as to what it was. Dismissing it, he looked back at his group. They seemed...off, somehow. He blinked.

"Hey, guys? Why are we here, anyways?" Coran asked.

Nobody responded. They just waved their heads back and forth, dopey smiles on their faces. Coran followed their gaze, and was taken by the light reflecting off the damp leaves, creating a prism of

_No. Something's off about this forest. I don't like it._

"Guys? Hello?" Coran called.

Again, nobody responded. Coran was beginning to get suspicious. He looked back at the trees where he saw...something. _Dang it! This stupid forest is making me forget!_ He waved his hands frantically in front of Mew's face. Her eyes were half shut, her head swinging on her shoulders.

Coran went over to Squirtle, who had laid down, and was making what looked like snow angels in the grass...the beautiful

_STOP IT! _Coran slapped himself in the face. Shaking his head to push any dreamy thoughts out of his head, he looked at Squirtle's expression. It was completely glazed over, as if she wasn't there. _What is this forest doing to us?!_

He clapped in front of Squirtle's face. She didn't flinch. She didn't blink. She didn't even stop with the dopey grin. Coran was beginning to get frantic. He rushed over to Monty. His leaves were behind his head, and he looked up at the sky, with that same expression. Coran, fed up, slapped him across the face. Nothing happened. Monty didn't move an inch. It was like slapping a rock. Coran didn't know what to do. His breathing quickened as he realized what Perlex Forest did.

It made you forget.

* * *

Celebi came back to check on the travelers. As soon as she laid eyes on them, she knew something was wrong. The Servine and the Eevee and the other one were still on the ground with the blank expressions. But the Riolu...the one that had seen her...He was huddled on the ground, covering his ears. Something was definitely wrong. She was going to fix it.

* * *

Coran squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't look. He couldn't hear. He couldn't touch. Taste. Smell. None of it. He had to be completely cut off from everything ever if he wanted to get out of this forest sane.

Something tapped him on the shoulder. He screamed.

"AUGH! What!? What do you want?!"

"Hey, calm down," A silky, smooth voice cooed. "Everything's fine."

Coran slowly removed his head from in between his legs. He saw a smiling Celebi. _Is that a Legendary? Agh, I can't tell! I can't remember! Curse this stupid FOREST!_

"You look like you've got a lot on your mind," The Celebi said.

A voice in the back of Coran's head screamed quietly at him, almost as if from behind a wall. _Don't say. Anything to. Her.__  
_

"Wh-what is this place?" Coran asked. He decided he was going to play along.

"This? Why, this is your home!" The Celebi laughed heartily.

_Mind. Tricks._ The voice came again. It wasn't Coran's, that was for sure. _Is this the Voice? I don't know, Mew said it was getting stronger...but isn't the Voice supposed to be bad? Why is it helping me?_

Coran reasoned it was best to keep up the charade. If this Celebi was behind all of this, he would do well not to anger it.

"It...it is?" He asked, trying his best to sound uncertain, wavering.

"Yes. It's your home...You should stay here."

"Stay...here? This is my home?"

"Don't you love it? It's so pretty!"

"I..." _Mind. Trick don't. Fall. For it._ "...I know."

Celebi smiled. No, she grinned. _That's it. She's the one. She's behind this. But...what do I do now?_

_Am. Bush. Free your. Friends._

Coran ignored the Voice, if it was that. He had to play along. If this was the Legendary, he wouldn't have stood a chance against her alone. Looking back at his friends, he had to hold back a scream.

The ground was eating them.

Well, that's what it looked like to Coran. The grass was rapidly growing, stretching around their bodies. Coran had to breathe deeply to avoid panicking. _What do I do? What do I do?_

_Ask about. Them._

_Well, I don't have any better ideas..._ "Who...who are they?" Coran said, focusing his sight as if he was staring behind Celebi to make his eyes look glazed. He had read about that somewhere...something about paintings that never work...

Celebi frowned. "Them? They're your...family."

_Oh, God. She frowned. I done goofed. I'm screwed. _"My...family?"

"Yes, now go sleep," The Celebi coaxed.

Coran began to formulate a plan in his head. "Okay...bedtime now?" He said, almost childlike.

"Yes..go to bed."

"Can you sing...lullaby?"

"Of course, my child," The Celebi cooed, like a mother.

Coran laid down on the ground, as if to sleep. He shivered as he felt the grass begin to crawl up his body. Celebi hovered over him, taking a breath to sing.

She never got one note out. Coran had his paws around her throat.

"What did you do to my friends?! What did you do to _me!?_" He screeched.

Celebi screamed, clawing at his hands. She was too flustered to prepare an attack. Coran narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip. Slowly, Celebi's struggles got weaker. Her face turned purple. Coran began to tighten for the final

_What am I doing!?_

Coran dropped Celebi to the floor, shocked at his own actions. _I was suffocating her! Why would I do that?!_

He noticed Celebi trying to crawl away. "No. You haven't answered my question," Coran said firmly as he put a paw on her. She jumped and shivered.

"I-I-I'm sorry! I thought it'd be funny! I'm sorry! I-I just..." Celebi pleaded, bursting into tears. Coran was shocked.

_A Legendary Pokémon that breaks down this easily?_ He thought.

"What did you do to my friends?"

"I...I..." Celebi sobbed before steel filled her eyes. She brought her hand up and punched Coran in the jaw. Coran flew back, and crumpled against the tree. Celebi stalked up to him. "You're weird. You shouldn't remember."

Coran slowly stood up, rubbing his mouth. Celebi watched him.

_Take her. Down._ _She's trouble._

Coran clutched his head.

"What's wrong? Babby has a widdle headache?" Celebi stuck her bottom lip out.

Coran stole a glance at his friends. They were being buried. Without a glance at Celebi, he rushed over to Monty and began tearing the grass off of him.

"AAGH! What are you doing!?" Celebi screeched, racing toward Coran at breakneck speed.

"Huh? What...Coran!? Where am I...?" Monty's head shot up from the hole he was being dragged into. Coran flew into Monty from the force Celebi used crashing into him.

"Put him back!" Celebi screamed. "Put him back put him back put him _back!_"

"What in the world-" Monty stared at the fuming Legendary on the ground.

"Don't ask questions! Just help me!" Coran grunted as he tried to wrestle Celebi to the ground. She beat him easily, and began landing blow after blow on his face.

Monty's eyes grew wide. Using his vines, he grabbed Celebi by the waist and held her suspended in the air.

Coran's head began to ache. _Free the. Mew she. Can help._

Coran whipped his head around to see Mew. She was sinking fast. He dashed over to her, and ripped the grass off of her. Celebi howled in pain again. Or was it primal rage?

"Agh!" Mew gasped, shooting up in the air. "What happened? Where am I? Who's that?"

"Mew! You're alright!" Monty shouted, trying to keep Celebi in his grasp. Celebi managed to wrest free of her bindings, and raised glowing rocks from the ground. Screaming in rage, she hurled them one by one at Monty, who was dancing on the ground trying to avoid them. He was struck in the chest by the second to last one, leaving him gasping for air on the ground.

"Monty!" Mew gasped. "Alright, you little dryad...You wanna see AncientPower? I'll give you AncientPower!" Mew began to raise the same rocks from the ground.

Coran stood in ready position until the ground under him began to shake. A purple-glowing rock rose out from under him. "Uh...Mew?"

Mew paid him no mind. It was like she didn't even see him. She hurled rock after rock at Celebi, and sooner than he liked, it was Coran's turn.

Pushing his head back, Coran raced towards Celebi at a blinding pace, her terrified face growing ever closer, until...

BAM!

Celebi lay on the ground, unconscious.

Mew and Coran breathed heavily, taking in what just happened. Mew's gaze went to Monty, who was lying on the ground.

"Monty! Are you alright?" Mew asked, actually touching the ground gingerly with her paws.

"Agh...Yes. I'm fine...the little blighter just caught me by surprise, that's all," Monty shook his head.

Coran remembered something. "Squirtle!" He rushed over to where they had been lying, but couldn't find her anywhere. "SQUIRTLE!"

"You can't find her?" Mew asked, floating over to where Coran was frantically digging at the ground.

He shook his head. Tears began to well up in his eyes. "No...no...nonononononononono..."

An ear. He saw an ear poking out of the ground.

He began clawing at the ground near the brown ear sticking out of the ground. Slowly, Coran uncovered Squirtle's body.

"G-gah!" Squirtle gasped. "I...I was buried alive?!"

"You're okay!" Coran cried, encasing a surprised Squirtle in a hug. "You're...okay..."

"Um...yeah. I'm okay now. But...where are we?"

Coran sighed, letting Squirtle go. "It's Perlex Forest. We came here to hunt down a Legendary," Coran jerked his head towards the unconscious Celebi.

"Uh huh. So we did that, then?"

"Yep! Mission accomplished!" Mew cheered.

Squirtle nodded, pleased. "Alright. Then how do we get out?"

All motion stopped. Monty, Mew and Coran realized how royally screwed they actually were.

Taking down Celebi was only half the battle.

The other half was getting out.

* * *

**This is just me, but other than reviewing the story (which I greatly appreciate), I'd like to see where you Guys 'n Dolls think the story is going. If you're reviewing, feel free to put your theories in there with your reviews! Not necessary, but it'd be cool to see.**


	28. Trees, Leaves and Footsteps

**There are so many clues in this chapter. Holy Murkrow, so many clues.**

* * *

_**Chapter 25**_

_**Trees, Leaves and Footsteps**_

The sun was gone. And Perlex Forest looked a lot less beautiful in the dark. It was scary.

"This isn't like Sorrowing Meadows..." Coran whispered. "This is worse."

Now that they knew the sinister secret of Perlex Forest, the woods itself seemed to realize the jig was up, so to speak. The grass no longer sparkled a purple hue, the leaves no longer glittered in the breeze, the only aroma was that of stale air. And the silence was a lot more deafening.

Coran shivered. The air was dense, hanging heavy over his shoulders. _At least Sorrowing Meadows was up front about trying to kill you...This makes it seem like your doom is right around every corner.__ Speaking of corners..._

"Hey, uh...does anybody feel a sense of déjà vu?" Coran asked, looking at a patch of thorns for what he felt was the fifth time.

"Isn't there some sort of surefire way of getting out of a maze?" Monty asked.

Coran jumped. "Yes, I think. If we stay on the left-hand side of the maze, and hug the wall, we'll find our way out eventually-"

Squirtle shook her head. "That's only if it's a simply built maze, where all the walls are connected to the outer walls. Plus...I don't think we can follow those kinds of rules in this situation. There's no clear trail or walls."

"Well, thanks, Ms. Naysayer," Coran huffed.

Monty frowned. "That kind of negativity isn't going to help us out of this forest!"

Among their fighting, Mew stayed quiet, silently observing the woods around them.

Squirtle noticed. "What are you thinking, Mew?"

"Oh?" Mew jerked, turning towards her. "Oh, no, it's nothing. I'm...I'm just wondering...what day it is."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Coran squinted, looking up at the treetops.

"Exactly what you think it means. How long have we been in here?" Mew asked.

Coran crossed his arms, ready to answer the seemingly easy question. But he found he couldn't. They had come in what felt like this morning, and then they all fell into Celebi's trance. Coran woke up from it when he saw Celebi in the tree, but how long had that been? Shaking his head, Coran wracked his mind trying to remember. He couldn't.

"But couldn't we tell from where the sun is?" He tried.

"What sun?" Mew murmured.

Coran's heart sunk into his chest. He looked up. Branches, leaves, trees. No sun. Scanning the treeline for any sort of illumination, Coran whipped his head frantically back and forth. He couldn't see anything. The edges of his vision grew dark. Was it fatigue? Was the night falling? Was he missing the sunset? Was there a sunset? Was there a sun? "Agh, I can't remember!"

"Ah, there's the rub," Monty lamented. "Memory's a fickle thing...at least in this forest, it is."

Squirtle gave her surroundings a once-over. She, too, could not see any sort of sign that there was anything beyond this forest. She, too, began to doubt _if_ anything existed beyond this forest. There was no sun, no light, no day, no night. There was nothing to accompany them.

Nothing but trees, leaves and footsteps.

* * *

Shuppet sighed, watching Pokémon pass by Banette's Bazaar. It had been a slow day. Most of the Pokémon were interested in restoring Nuzlocke, and therefore didn't have much interest in grocery shopping. Or shopping in general.

_I wonder what Coran's up to..._she thought as she saw Marvin pass by. _Oh, Marvin. He's one of Monty's friends, right? And...Monty's one of the Pokémon that go with Coran on adventures...I guess I could ask him._

"Hey, Marvin!" Shuppet called. The Breloom slowly turned his gaze to bore into Shuppet instead of the road ahead of him.

"...Yes?"

Shuppet was a bit put off by Marvin's attitude. _But then again, who isn't?_ "Do you know where Monty is?"

"Monty?...Yes, I do," Marvin said, his expression remaining blank.

"..." Shuppet looked at Marvin expectantly. "...Are you going to tell me where he is?"

"I didn't know you wanted me to tell you."

Shuppet said nothing.

"He went on an adventure with his coworkers in Perlex Forest," Marvin said, the blank expression staying true.

Shuppet's expression, however, contorted into one of terror. "He went _where?!_"

"He went on an adventure to-" Marvin began to repeat, then stopped as he saw Shuppet hastily put a 'Closed' sign on the counter of Banette's Bazaar and rush off to the east of Nuzlocke.

"Don't ask for things you don't want to know the answer to," Marvin sighed, then continued on his way.

* * *

"No no no no no! Why in Arceus' name did you go _there_? Are you insane? Coran, Coran, Coran, what were you thinking?!" Shuppet repeated to herself as she scanned the top of Perlex Forest, looking for any sign of the four wayward Pokémon. "Oh, man...They're in deep..."

Taking a deep breath, and ignoring the voice screaming at her that this was a not smart idea, she dove beneath the treeline of Perlex Forest.

* * *

"I feel like I'm going blind. Does anyone else feel like they're going blind?" Coran asked, looking around at everyone else.

Squirtle barely registered what Coran had said. Was she going blind or was it just getting dark? Squirtle didn't want to waste time thinking about it. She just followed the path, ignoring anything else, any other type of input trying to force its way into her brain. _I guess you could say I'm following the path...blindly._ She smiled lightly.

Squirtle looked back at the other three Pokémon. They were all following her, having the exact same faith in her as she did with the path. Their eyes were blearily focused on her. She refocused her gaze on the trail, and began to

The trail.

_Where is the trail?_

Her eyes flitted right and left, looking for the dirt path that she had been following religiously for the past...how long? How long had she been following the trail? How long had she been in this forest? She sat down on the ground, fighting back hot tears.

"Squirtle? Are you...are you alright?" She didn't turn around, but she recognized the concern in Monty's voice. They still thought she knew where she was going. How was she going to tell them?_ Sorry, guys. I lost the trail. I guess we're doomed to wander these trails forever and starve to death. My bad._

"Coran! Oh, thank Arceus I found you!" A voice yelled from above them.

"Aah!" Coran screamed.

Squirtle jumped too; a voice other than theirs? There's nobody else in this forest, is there?

"What in Will 'O Wisps were you doing in here? Don't you know what happens to Pokémon that come in here?" Shuppet scolded, flitting her glare from Monty, to Mew, to Squirtle, then resting on Coran. "I was worried about you...guys!"

"We knew that if you looked away from the forest, you forgot about it," Mew offered.

"That's not all of it! That's not even half of it!" Shuppet yelled, before realizing she was yelling. She took a couple of deep breaths, then continued. "Sure, if you look away from the forest, you forget about it. But the more time you spend in the forest, the more...Look, it's cursed. This forest. If you stay here too long, it messes with your mind. You begin to look at how beautiful the forest is, then you start to forget. You forget about what you were doing here. You forget about the passage of time. You forget about what the sun, or light looks like. Then you forget about who you are, what you do, if it even matters. You can only think about Perlex Forest. That's all you can remember. This stupid forest...And then...And then you die."

Everyone was silent. They were taken aback from Shuppet's rant. She recognized this, and shook her head rapidly, as if waking up from a daydream. "I'll, uh, fly up there and find a way out."

Coran, Squirtle and Monty looked accusingly at Mew.

"No," Shuppet shook her head. "She's been in here too long. She wouldn't be able to see a way out. She'd see trees forever. Look, I'll show you. C'mere," She motioned for Mew to join her as she rose up. After about thirty seconds, they came back down, Mew's face indifferent. "We head this way. It's pretty close."

They walked without a trail, with only Shuppet to guide them.

"Hey, Shuppet?" Coran asked.

"Yes, Coran?" Shuppet replied, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"What time is it up there?"

"Midday, why?"

"Mid...How long have we been in here?" Coran whispered to himself. He meant for it to be rhetorical, but Shuppet answered it anyways.

"You guys have been missing for five days."

Nobody moved. Even Squirtle seemed absolutely flabbergasted.

"F-f-f-five days?!" Monty gaped.

"I knew I was gonna be too weak to move soon, but...really?" Coran whispered.

"Oh, we're out!" Shuppet cheered.

Light flooded their vision, temporarily blinding them. Rubbing their eyes, they finally saw broad daylight for the first time in...five days.

"Ooh..." Squirtle whispered. "The business is going to be so dusty..."

Everyone present gave her a disbelieving look. She shrugged sheepishly.

* * *

"Alright, what did we miss?" Coran asked Shuppet. The five of them were gathered around a table at a recently restored restaurant in Nuzlocke called Mona's. Squirtle and Monty were both chowing down on Sitrus Salads, Coran just had an apple, and Mew and Shuppet passed.

"Oh, man. You missed something big. It was weird, too."

"Go on, weird. I like weird, weird is good," Coran said.

Shuppet laughed. "Alright! Well, two days into your disappearance, we were raided by a group of Pokémon. But...then they just stopped. They were attacking buildings and Pokémon, and they stuttered for a bit, then...dropped dead. Kind of a grisly job, cleaning up all the corpses, but...It was weird."

The four explorers looked at each other. They all knew that the stutter and the stop had something to do with the Voice. And chances are...

"Celebi!" Mew shouted, smacking her forehead. "I forgot to scan Celebi! Agh!"

"Oh, for the Voice? Yeah, everyone's talking about it, now. And you guys! They all know you four are trying to fix it. But...this is Nuzlocke, so most of them think it's a pipe dream," Shuppet chuckled. "I'm rooting for you, though. Y'know, Coran...things have changed since you've happened upon our little town. Changed for better or for worse, we still have to see, but it's definitely changing."

Coran didn't know how to respond.

Squirtle did. "Well, we should probably be getting back...it's a business day tomorrow, and we need to be well rested. See you, Shuppet, thanks for getting us out of Perlex Forest!"

"Okay, and you're welcome! I should...probably be getting back to the Bazaar, anyways. It's still my shift..." She floated off into the crowd of Pokémon flooding Main Street. Coran watched her for as long as he could.

"Hey, Coran! Wake up! We need to get to sleep!" Squirtle called. Coran nodded and followed her and Mew back to the business as Monty went back to his house so they could get some well deserved rest.

* * *

Mew woke up. She looked in on the rooms on either side of her. Both of them were sleeping. Good. It'd be best if they didn't know about what she was going to do.

Celebi was going down.

* * *

**Oh, sorry. By 'clues', I meant puns. They're the same thing, right? No?...Well, then.**

**See how many you can find! (And no, 'Thank Arceus' doesn't count.)**


	29. BONUS: Ben and Shari

**DING DING DING! Winner winner, chicken dinner! You have picked the lucky chapter number 29! And that means...BONUS CHAPTER!**

* * *

_**BONUS CHAPTER**_

_**Ben and Shari**_

Shari hacked. It was getting to her; she could feel it. "B-Ben? Where are we?"

"I...I don't know. But...it's beautiful, isn't it?" Ben didn't seem to have the same concerns. He was lucky. It didn't have him yet. It had her. "Are you okay?"

Shari fell to the ground with a nasty cough, and raised her head to look at her brother. He extended his hand; she took it. "Thanks...and, no. I don't think I am. I think...I think it's getting to me."

"What's getting to you? By the way, have you seen these leaves? They glow!"

Shari stood aghast. "H-how...How can you not remember?" She coughed. "You can't remember why we came in here?"

"Why we came here?" Ben asked, confused. "It's so pretty...look, the grass is purple! But it's still green! It's so quiet and peaceful-"

"Ben!" Shari screamed, regretting it instantly. Her throat burst into flames, angrily protesting the stress Shari was putting it through. She repeated herself, softly this time. "Ben...this isn't like you. You aren't like this. What's happening?"

Ben didn't answer. He was inhaling the scent of something through his nose. He sighed. "We came in here to appreciate how beautiful it is!"

Shari shook her head. "No, we came in here to-" Her eyes grew wide. Why couldn't she remember? She should be able to...why can't she? She squinted her eyes, looking down, trying to ignore the pain screaming at her from each and every part of her body. She saw the grass. It _was_ pretty neat. It glowed purple...but it was still green. Ben knelt down beside her. She recoiled.

"Don't come near me! You'll catch it, too!" Shari screamed.

Ben smiled. "Stop worrying. We'll find a cure."

_A cure for what? What am I talking about? Am I sick?_ Suddenly, she started shivering uncontrollably. _I am._

"We should get out of here before too long," Shari said.

"Oh, we've only been here for a few minutes," Ben said passively.

Shari looked up at the sky. She couldn't see the sky. Only leaves. Orange, glowing leaves, casting dappled light onto the dirt path below. Delicious fruit hanging from each and every branch looked absolutely

_What am I thinking?__ Where's the sun?_ _How long have we actually been in here?_ Shari was beginning to get scared. She wrapped her coat around her. Her skin was beginning to itch underneath her jeans. She debated whether to take them off, but decided against it. She coughed again.

So did Ben.

* * *

"W...Wow...this forest's pretty neat, huh?" Shari whispered, leaning on her brother as she slid her feet across the leaf-lined path.

Ben said nothing. Realizing how tired he was, he looked up through the leaves, trying to see the sky. "What time is it?"

"I dunno...I left my watch...uh...what's the name of the place where we live?"

"Home?"

"Yeah, I left it there. What are we doing here, anyways? Remember yet?"

Ben's eyes refocused on the path in front of

_Where's the path? Where did the path go?_ Ben thought frantically. Shari was whimsically skipping along behind him. She didn't notice.

Ben and Shari were drifting in and out of sanity.

"...Shari?" Ben asked quietly.

Shari hummed, slowing her skip to a walk, then stopped, a dopey grin on her face.

"Shari? Have you seen the path?"

She didn't respond.

"Shari!" Ben exclaimed.

Shari jumped, then turned to Ben. She coughed. "Are you talking to me?"

Ben was about to answer, then he started coughing himself. He tried to nod his head through the convulsions.

Shari began skipping again, then tripped. She crumpled to the ground, her limbs too weak from the virus to support her. Instead of crying out in pain, however, Ben watched in confusion as she started making snow angels. In the grass. "It's soooooooo soooofffft..." She drawled.

Ben sat down beside her, clutching his head. _What is this forest called again? Why are we here? What time is it, Mr. Wolf? Is she right about the grass? Who is she? Who am I?_ Ben thought, slowly drifting back into the influence of the curse.

"Hey, Ben," Shari sighed, next to him.

"Yes, Shari?" _Who's Shari?_

"Do you-" She stopped, and started coughing for a good twenty seconds. "Do you think we'll become Skull Kids? Y'know, like...like the ones in Zelda? The ones lost in the forest?"

"I don't know..."_...What you're talking about._

Both of the children laid down on the ground, their flaming red joints too weak from sickness to support them anymore. They laid back on the grass, the softest thing either of them could remember. They felt it grow around them.

Right before he died, Ben thought he heard a giggle.

* * *

"Banette! I'm sorry I shirked today...but...my friends were-" Shuppet tried to explain frantically.

Banette was ticked. "That's no excuse! Someone could've come to the Bazaar while you were gone, ready to buy the most expensive thing in the shop!"

"There was nobody! Everyone was busy with the restoration project!" Shuppet protested.

"But they could've. And since you were gone, we'll never know! You need to take your job more seriously! What could've been more important than-"

Shuppet interrupted. "They were in Perlex Forest."

Banette stopped talking. "Perlex Forest?"

Shuppet nodded grimly.

"And you went to get them out?"

"We know...it's hard. It's hard in there. They're trying to do something about that Voice thing! And...if they died..."

Banette sat down next to Shuppet. "It's fine. I understand. But...we need to keep up the cover."

"Why? What danger is there anymore?"

"I don't know. But I want to be prepared. Just in case. What harm is there in forgetting?" Banette said before realizing his poor choice of words.

Shuppet's glare bored into him. "We both know..._exactly_...what harm there is in forgetting, Ben."

"Shh!" Banette shushed Shuppet frantically, looking around to see if anyone else heard them. "Don't call me that!"

Shuppet hung her head. "I...I don't want to be a Pokémon anymore..." She whispered.

Banette frowned sympathetically. "I know. Neither do I. But you know the alternative. At least we're alive."

"No. We're not. We're _ghosts _in case you've _forgotten_. I am a puppet and you are a doll," Shuppet spat.

"Y-yes. I-"

"Sometimes I wish the virus got me! Would it be better than this?" Shuppet started to cry.

"Don't say that! You don't-"

"I am falling in love with a Pokémon, Ben! Do you know how messed up that is?!" Shuppet screamed.

"Shut up!" Ben hissed. "Come here. If we are going to talk about this, we need to do it in private."

Shuppet, seething, followed Ben to the back room of Banette's Bazaar.

"Shari, you need to keep quiet in public," Ben scolded.

Shari, instead of answering, started bawling. "I miss mom and dad! I miss our house! I miss having HANDS!"

Ben didn't know what to say. "I...I'm sorry. But...as hard as it is to take, this is our life now. And if we went around telling people...no, Pokémon that we were humans, they'd burn us at the stake, so to speak."

"D...do you think mom and dad are together?"

"I don't know. But...we'll see them. Eventually."

Ben pulled Shari into a hug.

"I'm tired...I'm gonna go to bed. Goodnight Bane...Goodnight, Ben," Shuppet went into her room.

"Goodnight, Shari."

* * *

**I deleted Chapter 17 because of apparently illegal content. I don't want my story removed. So if a review for a chapter doesn't correspond with the content that's in it, that's why. And I'm sorry for the short chapter.**


	30. The Sassy Type

**Let's see how this goes...**

* * *

_**Chapter 26**_

_**The Sassy Type**_

Coran stretched in his mattress, struggling to keep his eyes open. Although he did value sleep, waking up was admittedly pretty annoying. Slowly, he trudged out of his room to see that Squirtle was doing roughly the same thing. "G'morning, Squirtle."

"Morning, Coran," Squirtle replied.

Coran, his mind still bleary from sleep, slowly surveyed the state of the business. "Wh..." He started, then yawned. "Where's Mew?"

"Hmm?" Squirtle apparently didn't notice. She shrugged. It seemed to satisfy Coran's curiosity.

"We should eat something, don't you think?" Coran asked, stretching.

"Yeah. That's a good idea."

And so, this is how they were caught completely by surprise when Mesprit burst through the door in a panic.

"You guys who helped find Azelf, I need your help because Manaphy's super sick, and this usually wouldn't be a problem since the Phione are right there, and they have the cure-all Phione Dew, but they aren't there, they're missing, and I know you found Azelf, so I need you to find the Phione, or else Manaphy will die and I don't want him to die! He's so young!" Mesprit yelled.

Neither Coran or Squirtle were sleepy anymore.

* * *

Monty was aghast. "What!? Manaphy's dying?"

"And apparently the Phione are missing. Do you think that it has anything to-" Squirtle started.

"No," Mew shook her head. "Phione migrate. They're on their next stage of their migration path, which...if I remember correctly, is...Miracle Sea."

"Where's Miracle Sea? My parents were cartographers, and I've never heard of that!" Monty exclaimed.

"Miracle Sea?" Coran asked. _It sounds familiar from somewhere. T...what? Treasure Town?_ "Has anyone ever heard of Treasure Town?"

"The guy in Duskull Bank talks about it sometimes," Squirtle said, a bit too cryptically. "But why?"

"I...when Mew said Miracle Sea, I just thought about it. I don't know why, but..." Coran shook his head in confusion. Squirtle nodded her head to show that she understood.

Mesprit warped back in front of them with a very pale Manaphy. Instead of saying something, he just grinned weakly, shivering uncontrollably.

"Here, you'll need to take him with you to Miracle Sea. The Phione Dew doesn't last long outside of the water," Mesprit said. "He should be okay until you get there, just...don't get him into anything dangerous."

"Let's go talk to Duskull, then," Monty said.

* * *

Duskull wasn't very popular. Most of the villagers thought he was creepy. They just left their money with him, no questions asked. No one in Nuzlocke liked to talk to him much. So he was obviously surprised when six Pokémon came up to his counter, and started asking about something other than making a deposit or withdrawal.

"We were told that you knew something about Treasure Town," Mew said, getting right to the point.

"Hee-hee...Treasure Town? Yes, I used to work there...Hee-hee..." Duskull chuckled.

Squirtle was reminded why she installed a safe in the business. "Um...would you mind telling me where it is?"

"It's on the continent to the west...on the east coast...Hee-hee...you won't be getting there anytime soon, though..."

"Why's that?" Coran asked.

Duskull started to laugh again. "The seas have been turbulent for the last decade...you aren't sailing there, that's certain...Hee-hee..."

"What?! Then how do we get to Miracle Sea?" Squirtle asked.

Mesprit spoke up. "I-I could teleport you."

Everyone looked at her.

"It's...it's far, yeah, but it's no sweat for a Legendary like me. I could teleport you back at the end of the day," Mesprit explained. "Besides...now that Duskull mentions it, I think I might've been there before. I...I used to work with a team."

"Alright, just give us a moment to get prepared," Squirtle said.

* * *

"Hi, and welcome to Banette's Bazaar. How may I help you?" Shuppet asked.

"Shuppet, we're going on an expedition to the next continent over. We need some supplies. Could you hook us up?" Coran asked.

Shuppet gave one look at Coran, and cringed.

"Is something wrong?" Coran asked.

"No, everything's fine. How long is the expedition for, and what is the environment you're going to?" Shuppet asked, avoiding eye contact with Coran.

"We're going to a sea, and it'll just take one day," said Squirtle.

Shuppet turned around. "A sea? Overtop, or in?"

"In," Monty offered.

"It's Miracle Sea, near Treasure Town," Coran said, suspicious of why Shuppet wouldn't look at him.

She finally did. "Did you...did you say Treasure Town?"

Coran nodded. "Yeah. Have you heard of it?"

Shuppet simply nodded.

Mew frowned, staring at Shuppet suspiciously, but said nothing.

"Here, these should work," Shuppet said, handing them a bag full of apples, wonder orbs and berries. "The pack is 1200 Poké, by the way."

"Alright, here. Thanks, Shuppet!" Squirtle said, walking out of the store.

"Come again," Shuppet replied, then rested her head on the counter.

"Was it just me, or was Shuppet different that time around?" Coran asked.

Mew agreed. "We should talk to her about it sometime. It's what friends do."

* * *

"Alright, Mesprit, we're ready," Squirtle announced.

Monty interrupted. "Wait. Just a moment. Mesprit, why can't you come with us?"

"I have to guard the nameless lakes," Mesprit said simply.

"Guard them? Guard them from what-" Coran was about to ask, before having Manaphy thrust upon them.

"Safe travels!" Mesprit waved, and suddenly, they were in Treasure Town.

Squirtle's eyes widened in recognition. Everyone else's eyes widened in disbelief.

Treasure Town was completely and utterly deserted.

* * *

"I...I know this place...This is where my mom grew up!" Squirtle exclaimed, looking around. "Although...it's a little more lifeless than I remember."

Coran looked around. He was becoming nervous. He recognized this place too, but...not quite. If he remembered correctly, up that hill, there was a tent that had a guild under it...but how did he know?

Then the questions came. Questions he remembered. Questions he knew the answers to. Questions he wasn't asking.

_You've been asked to do a difficult task. What do you do? Do you think it's important to always aim to be the best? You see a big and comfortable bed. Your first reaction is to..._

_Where are these coming from?!_

Coran grimaced. He didn't like this place. He felt like he knew it. But...not like this. Not walking through it. Not seeing it through his own eyes.

Whatever that meant.

"Coran, are you alright?" Monty asked.

Coran was clutching his head, stumbling along. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. What are we looking for?"

Mew floated in front of him. "We're looking for a way into Miracle Sea."

"Oh...okay," Coran nodded.

"Should we split up?" Squirtle asked.

"Yes, that's a good idea. There doesn't seem to be any immediate danger," Monty said. "I'll go with Manaphy and Mew up that hill over there. You two can check the town."

"Alright, fine by me. C'mon, Coran, let's go," Squirtle said, leading him through the town.

* * *

Coran looked uncertainly at every building. Most of them were shaped like the heads of Pokémon, which disturbed him a bit. Duskull, Marowak, Electivire...

_How do I know all these Pokémon? I thought I had no memory..._

_Have you ever realized you were hogging the conversation? If you saw someone doing something bad, could you scold them?_

_SHUT UP!_

"Coran, something's wrong. What is it?"

"I...I couldn't tell you in front of them, but...I'm hearing voices inside my head. I don't think it's _the_ Voice, but...they're asking me questions. But I feel like I already answered them...a long time ago," Coran hung his head. "I don't know. Maybe I'm crazy. I just...ever since I got here, I feel like I know this place."

"But...You're a human, aren't you? Humans have never been on this continent. They were always on the continent we live on. How could you know?"

Coran didn't answer. "Do...do you know this place?"

Squirtle looked around. "Yeah. This is where my mom grew up. She was part of an exploration team, y'know. She was the one who inspired me to make the business where I solve other Pokémon's troubles."

"You've been here before?"

"No, but my mom told me all about it. She told me stories about her and her friend. But...I haven't seen her in five years or so, and she hadn't told me those stories since I was a little kid. All of them are a little fuzzy. But...this place is like a childhood memory to me."

* * *

Monty climbed up the long flight of stairs up to a tent. Holding Manaphy, he carefully stepped over a grate in the ground and entered through the door. Mew was already inside, reading a bulletin board.

"Monty, look at this. It's a notice," Mew waved him over.

EXPLORATION TEAM FEDERATION NOTICE

We regret to inform you that the Exploration Team Federation will no  
longer be operating. Due to loss of Poké and economical collapse of this  
continent, the Exploration Team Federation will no longer be accepting  
or endorsing the activities and events of exploration teams any longer.

Please Understand.

Monty looked at the piece of paper curiously. "This paper looks quite old..."

"There's a ladder here. Why don't we go down it?" Mew asked.

"Sure. Let's see what we can find," Monty nodded.

Manaphy coughed.

* * *

"Wow...the view from here is so beautiful..." Coran gaped, looking over the ocean.

Squirtle walked up beside him. "My mom told me funny stories about a Dugtrio who stood here once in a while, singing to the sea or something.

_Do you like karaoke?__ Have you ever looked at your reflection in the mirror and thought "What a cool person"?_

_STOP IT! STOP ASKING!_

Then Coran remembered something.

Squirtle kept talking. "My mom told me there was a secret about this place...I can't remember what, though."

Coran, only half listening to Squirtle, walked over to a conspicuous bush. He pushed it aside, and revealed some stairs.

He looked at Squirtle, who returned his gaze with a surprised stare. Shrugging, they nodded at each other, and headed down the stairs.

* * *

"Well, that was a waste of time," Mew grumbled. "All we found was a cauldron and an empty mess hall."

"Manaphy seemed to recognize it, though," Monty recalled, looking at Manaphy, held in a Cat's Cradle made by his vines.

"I...I'm not a baby!" Manaphy choked, before convulsing and bursting into a fit of coughs.

"Maybe we should try the beach," Mew suggested, pointing at the path ahead of them.

Monty shrugged. "Well, let's hope we find something better than an empty building.

* * *

"Hey, I recognize this! This is where my mom lived before joining...a guild, or something," Squirtle shook her head, trying to remember.

Coran was again silent. This was so familiar! His sense of familiarity disappeared as they headed down the stairs, but when the came out into this clearing, it came right back in full force.

It was a small hollowed out bluff. It had what looked like a dried up fountain in one corner, and had two worn out spots on the ground, probably beds. In another corner of the small chamber was a pair of barrels.

"It's just like mom said it was...wow...it's cool to be here. Her stories are coming back to me, now, Coran. Not all of them, mind you, but..." Squirtle stopped as she remembered something. "She said there was a picture frame that she left here, after her partner left..."

"Is this it?" Coran asked, pointing at a picture of a Blastoise and...a Lucario, smiling.

Squirtle looked at it strange. "Yes...that's it. Lucario?" She looked at Coran curiously. She took the photo in her front paws and turned it towards her.

Coran screamed.

"Ah! What?! What is it!?" Squirtle exclaimed.

Coran was trembling. "L-l-l-l-look at the b-b-back of the photo frame..."

Squirtle was confused. _What is he talking about?_ she wondered as she flipped the photo frame and read the text scrawled on it.

Coran felt something well up in his throat. Was it fear? Sadness?

Squirtle dropped the photo frame in shock.

The back of the photo frame read

_Blastoise (That's me!) and my partner, Coran._


	31. Family

**Ah, cliffhangers...You only work if people have to wait for more than a day.**

* * *

_**Chapter 27**_

**_Family_**

Both the Riolu and the Eevee stared in shock at the photo frame. Coran's head was slowly shaking, unable to take in exactly what this meant.

Squirtle turned to Coran, tearing her eyes away from those words. "Coran," She said, voice trembling. "Why does that Lucario have your name?"

Coran didn't answer. "I don't know...I just...I can't explain it. I'm just as confused as you."

"Coran...Are you lying to me?" Squirtle narrowed her eyes at Coran, whose heart shot up into his throat.

"No! I'm just as confused as you, I swear! I don't know what that means!"

"We'll talk about this later," Squirtle bent down to pick up the photo frame, thinking it'd be important. She put it in her treasure bag.

"AGH! They're back!" Coran groaned, clutching his head.

Squirtle turned her head toward him, but didn't come any closer. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah, it's just...the questions...They're back," Coran grunted.

Squirtle frowned. _He's been strange ever since we got here__. _"You mean those questions you know the answers to?"

Coran nodded, then stiffened. "They've stopped...Wait, what? No, I don't understand!"

"What is it?" Squirtle asked.

"They...the questions stopped, and the voice called me 'the sassy type'. I don't even know what that means!" Coran clutched his head. "Agh, I don't understand! I...I feel like I've answered these questions before, a long time ago."

"Well..." Squirtle didn't want to think about it any longer for the time being. Her head was pounding from the effort she had put into the issue. "Let's not think about it anymore for the time being. And let's not think about Coran for a while, either. I think we should go talk to my mom about it later, but for now...our priority is Manaphy."

* * *

Monty and Mew stood in disbelief on the beach, looking at a raft, just lying there on the sand.

"Well, that's convenient," Monty said, unable to comprehend why on earth it was there. "I wonder, though..."

"Don't ask questions, just be grateful we found something," Mew interrupted. "How do you think Coran and Squirtle are doing?"

"I...I don't think...it matters anymore," Manaphy coughed. "We found...a way. Let's go...to-" he interrupted himself by hacking and coughing, convulsing in Monty's makeshift cradle.

"You're right. Mew, could you find them?" Monty asked. "I'll get this set up."

Mew nodded and flew off into the village.

* * *

Coran and Squirtle walked back through Treasure Town in silence, both of them trying to sort out the possibilities of why Coran's name was on the photo frame.

Squirtle was at a loss. _I might think that it could be him, but...Coran's a Riolu, and that one was a Lucario. You can't devolve, can you? Is he not telling me something?_ She looked over at Coran, who looked like he might puke.

Coran felt like he might puke. _Who is that? Am I him? No, I'm a Riolu, and he's a Lucario. You can't devolve, can you? How do I know about evolutions? How do I know about anything? Is this common sense? Who am I?_

"I...I'm sorry, Squirtle. I can't remember," Coran hung his head.

Squirtle gasped quietly. "You have amnesia..."

"Y-yeah. I thought we established that."

"No, I forgot."

"You forgot that I had amnesia?" Coran chuckled despite himself. "That's like...level three irony or something."

Squirtle smiled. "I...I'm sorry, Coran. I shouldn't have doubted you."

Coran turned his head to look at her.

"I...You've never lied to me about anything before," she went on, "and it's unfair to think that you'd lie about this now. And...you know what? This might actually prove whether you're sane or not. You know, about whether you're a human. Who knows?"

Coran groaned, trying to hide a smile. "Ugh, you're _still_ holding that stupid test over my head?"

"I'll never let it go."

"Squirtle! Coran!" Mew's voice rang out from above them. "We found a raft! Hurry, let's go!"

Coran and Squirtle exchanged glances, and ran after Mew heading towards the beach.

What Squirtle found strange is that both of them knew exactly where to go.

* * *

The sun was setting on the beach, reminding Coran of Dusky Beach._ Or...does Dusky Beach remind me of this? Agh...this hurts my head.__ But...the questions stopped, so there's that._

"Squirtle," Coran whispered to her. "Did your mom ever tell you about the Krabby that blew bubbles on this beach at sunset?"

Squirtle stared at him. "How did you-"

Coran shook his head, ignoring the question. "They should be here any minute now."

Monty's voice came from down the beach. "Alright, preparations are complete! Let's get going, we don't have much time!"

Coran and Squirtle exchanged glances, then climbed aboard the raft. They shoved off, and sailed into the orange sea, heading northwest, with the bubbles of the Krabby at their backs.

* * *

"Oog." Coran's face was screwed up in discomfort. "I don't like this...How do we even know when we're getting to Miracle Sea, anyways?"

Manaphy hung off the side of the raft, treading water. Apparently he liked it better this way. "I know what it looks like. I'll tell you when we're there."

"You're sounding better, Manaphy," Squirtle marvelled.

"Yeah, I think I might've traded my sickness with Coran's," She giggled, before coughing slightly. "Nope, it's still there. My throat feels like it's on fire, but I think I can hang on as long as we're in the water."

"I...I'm not physically sick," Coran waved Manaphy's remark off. "I'm just...not fit for watery travel, that's *urp* that's all."

Monty brought out a large parchment, and began scribbling on it. Mew looked over his shoulder. Before Mew could ask the question, Monty answered it.

"I've been making a map of this place. We're past Sharpedo Bluff (I named it that for obvious reasons), and heading northwest. Manaphy, how close would you say we are to Miracle Sea?"

"Please say it's close," Coran whined, putting a paw to his muzzle.

"Um...about five minutes." Manaphy said, looking around. He was still shivering a bit, but it wasn't as bad as when he was on dry land.

The five Pokémon waited semi-patiently for Manaphy to stop them. Coran stumbled along the small raft, before deciding it'd be best to lie down. Squirtle sat down as well.

"Monty, could I borrow some of that parchment?" she asked.

Monty looked up from his map. "Hmm? Oh, yes, of course. I have others in my bag."

"I still don't have a bag," Coran grumbled.

Squirtle ignored him, and began writing.

"Guys, we're here! This is Miracle Sea!" Manaphy shouted to get their attention, before gripping it with both flippers to ease the pain, before sinking into the waters because he no longer had a grip on the raft.

"Manaphy!" Mew yelled, looking over the side of the raft.

Manaphy surfaced from the water. "I'm fine. I probably shouldn't have shouted, though..."

Coran lifted his head to see this Miracle Sea. The first thing he saw was Monty, writing furiously on his map, then he craned his head to look behind him.

It was night now, with a first quarter moon hanging over the sea. The surrounding waters looked black because of the lack of colour in the sky, but with no lights or civilization to choke them out, the stars came in full force. The sky above them was a moon surrounded by a blanket of stars, softly shimmering and blinking in the night. The sea, although calm, had small waves that refracted the light coming from the stars, creating rays that returned some of the light to the sky. But what made this part of the sea different was...it was blue. A beautiful light blue that was reminiscent of a flying lantern lighting up a moonless night. The water glowed. Coran remembered reading something about bioluminescent phytoplankton or something that did this. But this time, he did not stop to wonder where he knew it from. He stayed here, in this moment, watching the waters soft blue glow illuminate the five Pokémon.

"Before we go in," Manaphy said before coughing lightly. "I should probably say that Miracle Sea is a Mystery Dungeon. It has nothing to do with the Drasil roots. A lot of the places on this continent have always been a Mystery Dungeon. At least, for as long as I can remember."

"Aw, man...another Mystery Dungeon?" Coran sighed.

"Hey, don't gripe," Mew chided. "Think about the Exploration Teams that used to work on this continent. Everything was a Mystery Dungeon."

Coran huffed, but nodded. She was right.

They dove into Miracle Sea.

* * *

Ocean Mystery Dungeons are strange. The water gets divided into two types. There's water that feels more like a mist that you can wade through with relative ease, and solid water that...isn't ice below your feet. It was a strange experience, and Coran would never get used to it. He shivered.

"You can see in here, at least," he said with a relieved sigh.

"It's strange, though...we haven't seen a single hostile Pokémon since our time in here," Monty put a vine to his chin.

Mew's eyes widened. "Don't question it. Be glad it's worked out this way."

And so they descended, going through inexplicable _hallways_ and _rooms_ with _stairs _made completely out of _water._

Soon enough, they made their way to the bottom of the sea, and finally felt sand on the bottoms of their feet. There, they saw a ring of Phione.

"Hey!" Manaphy called, looking a lot better. "You guys left me behind!"

"Oh?" a Phione asked, turning to the others before looking at Manaphy. "Oh? I'm sorry, Manaphy! You were late, and we had to go!"

Mew rolled her eyes. She didn't like the Phione. They were so ditzy.

Manaphy huffed and crossed his arms. "You guys were the ones who sent me to fill in for Azelf!"

"Oh?"

"Oh?"

"I'm sorry, Manaphy! Super sorry!"

"Look, just tell me when you're leaving next, okay?" Manaphy shook his head, looking back at the group, before shaking his head condescendingly, jerking his head at the Phione.

"Okay! But don't be late next time!"

"See you guys! Thanks for leading me here!" Manaphy waved at the explorers.

"Wait," said Squirtle. "You're not coming back?"

Manaphy shook his head. "No, this is my family. And besides, I don't want them to get lost."

"Well, safe travels, Manaphy. 'Til we meet again!" Coran waved back.

"'Til we meet again?" Squirtle whispered sarcastically in Coran's ear. He replied by shrugging.

And they teleported out of the dungeon.

* * *

Back on the raft, Squirtle resumed writing on the piece of paper Monty gave her. Coran looked over her shoulder.

"What're you writing?" he asked.

"Wha-!?" Squirtle jumped, before whipping around to face Coran. "Oh...you scared me."

"Sorry," Coran apologized.

"It's a letter. To my mom. I wanted to know about...well, Coran. Who he was."

"Is he not your dad?" Coran asked. "Is that what she meant by partner?"

Squirtle's eyes grew as big as dinner plates as she shook her head frantically. "No, no, no. My dad was another Blastoise. But that Coran character...I wonder who he was."

Coran nodded, then adjusted himself to a better position to read the letter. "You don't mind, do you?"

Squirtle shook her head. But before Coran could start, they were back in Nuzlocke.

Mesprit was in their face almost immediately. "Did you do it? Is Manaphy okay?"

Monty backed up, blinking. "Ah...We, uh, we were successful, yes."

"Then...where is he?" Mesprit asked.

Squirtle stepped up. "He wanted to be with his family of Phione."

"Oh, okay," Mesprit looked a little hurt, but then she nodded. "Well, thank you for doing this. I'd better get back to the nameless lakes. See ya!"

* * *

Back in the business, Squirtle was at her desk finishing off the letter to her mom. Coran knocked on the door.

"Come in," she replied.

"Is that your letter?" Coran asked.

Squirtle nodded. "Do you want to read it before I send it off?"

"Um...sure," Coran nodded, before taking the letter.

_Dear mom,_

_Yes, I know I haven't written in a long time, but I'm writing now. But I have a  
concern I want to know if you can help with. Remember when you were part  
of an Exploration Team? When you told me you saved the future of the world  
with a Lucario? Well, first of all, I believe you now, and I'll tell you why when I  
come to see you. Did I mention I'm coming over? But...the main reason of my  
visit is because I have a few questions to ask you about your adventure and  
your partner. I'll see you soon!_

_-Your daughter, Squirtle_

* * *

**Next time, you meet Squirtle's parents! Yay!**


	32. One Answer, Two Questions

**The first few sentences are great Bonus Chapter fodder, don't you think?**

* * *

_**Chapter 28**_

_**One Answer, Two Questions**_

"Do you think it's a good idea leaving Monty and Mew to their own devices?" Coran asked skeptically.

Squirtle shrugged it off. "Oh, it'll be fine. Mew'll keep Monty in check. Or...maybe the other way around? I don't know."

"Where are we going, anyways?" Coran questioned.

"Use your head, Coran!" Squirtle chided. "I wrote that letter to my mom saying we'd visit her, she wrote back, saying she'd wait with bated breath for our visit...put it together. We're obviously looking for the ancient box of very fancy doilies."

Coran looked lost. "That...was not what I was expecting."

"I was being sarcastic. We're going to visit my parents at Cape Coast," Squirtle rolled her eyes.

Coran nodded. "Oh, okay. And we're going because of my double, right?"

"Yep," Squirtle confirmed.

"Just curious, though," Coran began, "How long is it going to take to get there?"

"About three hours' travel," Squirtle answered.

Coran looked over Squirtle's shoulder at the massive expanse of grass and dirt road in front of him. "Ugh...not having an Exploration Team badge sucks!" He groaned.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, having those badges lets you teleport to certain locations, right? If we had one, we could teleport right to Cape Coast, or at least teleport near it," Coran explained.

Squirtle stopped walking down the path and turned to face him. "How do you know that?"

Coran opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

"Y'know, I could choose to be really suspicious about your selective amnesia. But I won't."

Coran was quiet for a moment. "Squirtle, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Squirtle asked, beginning to walk down the path again.

"I'm sorry for throwing you into this. Making you deal with my problems."

"Now hold it right there," Squirtle interrupted. "You are not making me do anything. I am helping you because I choose to. And yes, I feel like I am in way over my head, but I'm still going to try."

Coran smiled. "Thanks. But...back on the badge thing...I've been thinking about it. You're right. How did I know the badge would do that? I'm human, aren't I?"

"I don't think that's the question you should be asking," Squirtle said.

Coran was lost. "I'm not sure I follow."

"I think the question you should be asking isn't 'How did I know' but 'Who am I to know'. What kind of person were you that you could know what an Exploration Team Badge did? Especially considering how hard it is for Pokémon to converse with people past gestures," Squirtle explained.

"You're right...humans can't understand Pokémon, can they? And now I'm wondering...am I actually human? I mean, divorce isn't a very good basis all on its own, is it?"

"Yeah, I might've jumped the gun on that one," Squirtle admitted.

Coran shook his head. "It's fine. You were trying to help. But...was I a human or a Pokémon?"

"Well, being a Pokémon could explain how you know so much about badges and stuff," Squirtle offered.

Coran turned to Squirtle as he walked. "Yes, but then, how would it explain how I know about things like mattresses and board games? And where does the Coran double come into play?"

Coran and Squirtle continued like this, throwing questions back and forth as they made their way to Cape Coast on the west coast of the continent.

* * *

"Well, we're here," Squirtle announced. "It's strange, we didn't come across any trouble along the way."

Coran smacked his forehead. "Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you, _don't say that!_ It's, like, a law of the universe that if someone says 'It can't get any worse', or 'everything is going better than expected' then things go to crap faster than you can say oops!"

Squirtle looked around warily, then turned back to Coran. "Hey, look. No fiery apocalypse."

"Don't say that, either! It's the same thing!" Coran yelled.

"Well, Armageddon or not, we're here."

Coran raised his head which was previously hung in shame to get a good look at Cape Coast. Coran and Squirtle stood on a hill overlooking the town, giving them a good view.

"Well, it's definitely bigger than Nuzlocke," Coran commented.

Cape Coast was right by the sea, and had multiple harbors lining the coastline. Coming further from the sea were a snaking network of industrial and residential streets, twisting and turning through the town in graceful arcs. There were two or three parks scattered around the sprawling city, giving splashes of greenery among the grey.

"You know, Coran, this used to be a human city before they...you know...died. The Pokémon, after a while, converted it into a city that could be used by them. Most things were kept the same, though. Except the clothes shops. Those were all closed down," Squirtle said matter-of-factly. "My parents live over there," She pointed down at the southeast corner of Cape Coast.

"Alright. Should we make our way there, then?" Coran asked.

Squirtle nodded, and they headed down the hill into the overdeveloped city.

As soon as they entered, Coran knew something was off. The air was a little less crisp than out in the fields that they had been walking upon. The tall buildings felt like they were choking him.

"I don't like it here, Squirtle," Coran whispered. "Everything's so...overwhelming."

Squirtle agreed. "It's a little much, isn't it? I'm a little more used to it, since I grew up here. But...staying in Nuzlocke so long has made this kind of alien to me."

"You said this was a human city?" Coran asked.

"Yes. I forget what it was - Hey, watch it, buddy!" Squirtle screamed at a Lickitung that nearly bodychecked her as it walked past. Squirtle shook her head. "You have to be kind of rude here to get Pokémon to even give you the time of day. Ah, we're getting close."

Coran looked up at the buildings surrounding him. "How on earth can you tell? All these buildings look the same!"

"I take it you grew up in a small town?" Squirtle smirked, before realizing what she just said. "Oh, I mean, I'm sorry-"

"No, it's fine," Coran told her. "Actually, I think you might be right."

"We're here," Squirtle announced, looking at a big grey block with windows peeking out at regular intervals.

"Your mom lives in an apartment building?"

"A what?" Squirtle looked at him confused.

"That's what this is, right? An apartment building?" Coran verified.

"Well, maybe that's what humans called it, but we call them stacks. Because houses are stacked on top of each other. My parents are on the fourth floor." She said as she walked into the building.

Coran followed her in. They came to a hallway with three doors on either side. Squirtle walked straight past them to a door leading to some stairs.

"Why don't we take the elevators?" Coran asked, pointing at the doors.

Squirtle looked back to check what he was referring to. "Two reasons. One, I don't trust those things. Two, we're both too small to reach the buttons."

After climbing the stairs, they came to a door that led to a hallway identical to the one below it. Squirtle shook her head. "I never liked stacks. Their layout is so confusing."

Squirtle led Coran to a door marked '404', and knocked twice.

A voice called out from behind the door, reminding Coran of Phari. "Be right there!"

The door opened and they were greeted by a Blastoise. "Oh, Squirtle! It's good to see you! Come on in, I just made lunch."

Squirtle and Coran walked in through the doorway. Coran looked around. It was a respecatble-sized apartment, about the same size as Squirtle's business. It was mostly clean, with a few stray objects here and there. The ceiling was a little small, that looked a little cramped for Blastoise as she was crouching down a little.

"It's nice to see you too, mom. Where's dad?" Squirtle asked.

Blastoise said nothing, her gaze flitting from Coran to Squirtle. When she didn't get the hint, she cleared her throat. "Squirtle? Do you mind introducing me to your friend?"

"Oh, sorry," Squirtle apologized. "That's...his name is..."

Coran could see she was struggling. He decided to take over. "My name is Coran, ma'am. Nice to meet you," He stuck out his paw, as he had been taught when he was a kid. Coran refused to think about who he learned it from; now was not the time.

Blastoise did not take his paw. "I'm sorry, could you say that again? I'm not sure if I heard correctly."

"My name is Coran, ma'am," Coran repeated.

Blastoise was speechless. She looked over at Squirtle, and mouthed a few words. Coran was left wishing he could read lips.

Squirtle nodded. "And...and he's my partner. In business," she added.

Blastoise looked back at Coran in shock, then jumped a bit as she realized Coran was still holding his paw out. She took it and shook vigorously. "I'm sorry, Coran! As Squirtle's probably told you, I'm her adoptive mother. Here, I'm assuming you want lunch if you walked all the way here."

Coran nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you. I'm famished."

* * *

"So...Coran, how did you meet Squirtle?" Blastoise asked.

Coran exchanged glances with his partner across the table as he debated whether to tell the truth or not. He decided that it would be best if he did. _I feel like I can trust her._

"It's a bit of a strange story, actually. Squirtle was out for a walk, doing...something," Coran started.

"I was thinking about the business venture, remember?" Squirtle interrupted.

"Squirtle, don't interrupt. I raised you better than that," Blastoise chided as Squirtle began to blush.

"Well, anyways, she was out in a field, and she...you saw me passed out on the grass, right?" Coran looked over at Squirtle for verification. Squirtle nodded.

"I'm sorry, you found him...passed out? As in...unconscious? Konked out?" Blastoise asked.

"Mmhmm. This salad is delicious, by the way," Coran offered, taking a bite out of what looked like a Lum Berry.

"Thank you. Now, get on with your story. I'd like to hear the rest of it."

Coran was chewing, so Squirtle took over. "We talked for a bit, and-"

"What did you talk about?" Blastoise interrupted, completely forgetting about what she told Squirtle not moments ago.

Squirtle made eye contact with Coran, asking for permission. Coran hesitated, then nodded. "He, uh...he had amnesia. Forgot about who he was. After talking a bit, we concluded that he might've been a human turned into a Pokémon."

Blastoise's mouth hung open.

Interpreting it wrong, Squirtle tried to remedy it. "Is that crazy? Coran, I think my mom thinks we're crazy."

"No, no, no! I don't think you're crazy, but...just...just finish your story. I want to hear everything." Blastoise put her chin in her hands as she listened to the rest of their story, enthralled.

* * *

"...So in Treasure Town, we found your photo with you and...and Coran...and after reuniting Manaphy with the Phione, we came here to ask you about your partner. That's it," Squirtle finished. "Now tell us why you look like you've just seen Arceus doing ballet!"

"You want to know about Coran, hmm?" Blastoise's eyes glazed over, as if looking into the distance. "Your story...it's so similar to mine. You remember I used to tell them to you at bedtime, right, Squirtle? She would throw a tantrum every night until I told her one," she whispered to Coran.

"Mom!" Squirtle protested, blushing.

"But, for you, Coran, I'll tell them again.

"I didn't always live in Cape Coast. I used to live on the continent to the west, where there were no humans. Ever. Nobody there really understood why, but humans weren't allowed there. Or...not for a long time, I guess. Anyways, I wanted to form an Exploration Team in Wigglytuff's Guild, but I was a coward back then," Blastoise started.

Something clicked in Coran's mind. "Did you ever have something called the Relic Fragment? Was it your lucky charm, or something like that?" He asked without thinking.

Once again, Blastoise's jaw dropped, and her eyes were once again taken over by Arceus's ballet.

"How did you..." She stammered.

Coran shook his head. "I don't know. I can remember a lot of things, but I can't remember where from."

"Well..." Blastiose was trying to recover from shock. "I couldn't work up the courage to get into the guild, and I went to the nearby beach to mope. Then I looked across and saw a Riolu lying face down in the sand. After waking up, he...well, he didn't say much. He said his name was Coran and that he was a human. He actually...he never said much. Just answered questions. The only time he ever really said anything was..." Blastoise's eyes began to water.

Again, something clicked in Coran's mind. "When he disappeared. He talked about how he'd never forget you...and there was a paradox, right? Because he was from a future that no longer existed."

Blastoise looked over at Coran, her eyes filling up with tears. "Who...who are you?"

Coran, again, frowned and shook his head. "That's what Squirtle and I are trying to find out. And...no, I don't know if I'm your partner or not. But...but I know things only your partner should know! I know about Team Skull, and I know about the Rainbow Stoneship, and the Grand Master of All Things Bad, and the Dimensional Scream, and Azurill, and Uxie, and everything! It's driving me up the wall!" Coran pounded the table with each word, spilling what was left of the salad.

Squirtle and Blastoise were silent.

Coran heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry. But...it's bothering me, too. If I was your partner, and evolved into a Lucario, how can I be a Riolu now? I don't think Pokémon can devolve, can they?"

Squirtle frowned. "No, we can't. At least, there's nothing I've ever heard of like that."

Coran sighed. "I-I'm sorry, Blastoise."

"Where...If you know everything...where did Coran go?" Blastoise said quietly.

Coran turned to face her. "Where did he go? I'm not sure I understand."

"We...we finished exploring one day, and I said good night to him like I did every night, and when I woke up the next morning, he was up and gone. No note, no goodbye, no evidence he was even there. He just...he just left. Do you know where he went?" Blastoise asked, voice choked.

Coran frowned. He squinted his eyes shut, trying to remember something about leaving, but nothing came to mind. "No. I'm sorry."

Blastoise nodded solemnly. "It's okay."

"Well, thanks for lunch, mom," Squirtle said, trying to break the awkward moment.

Blastoise tried to perk up. "You're welcome, dear. By the way, how did you get into the stacks without me buzzing you in?"

Squirtle rolled her eyes. "Someone threw a brick through the door."

"Ugh, not again. The landlord won't be happy about this," Blastoise groaned.

"Well, we need to get back to Nuzlocke before dark. We left Mew and Monty in charge, and I don't know how well they're handling things."

"Oh. Oh, my. Yes, you'd better get back. Safe travels, you two! And Coran..." Blastoise called as they were heading out the door.

"Um...yes, ma'am?" Coran stopped and turned around.

"If you find out who you are...I want to hear the details, okay?"

"Alright. As soon as I find out, I'll come see you."

And they were out the door.

Blastoise walked back to the table and sat down. _Was it him? He was definitely more talkative than Coran...Where are you?_

* * *

"Oh, shoot, it's getting dark!" Squirtle exclaimed as they exited the stacks.

Coran looked at Squirtle, concerned. "Why the 'oh, shoot'?"

Squirtle turned her gaze forward warily. "There are things in Cape Coast that you don't want to run into in the dark."

They made their way through the streets, the buildings surrounding them seeming even more intimidating than during the day. Suddenly, Coran felt a metal blade against his throat.

"Eep!"

"What goods ya gots?"

* * *

**Oooooh...CLIFFHANGER! Sort of, anyways. Again, cliffhangers are moot when you only have to wait a day. Which is why...BONUS CHAPTER TOMORROW! MUAHAHAHA!**


	33. BONUS: We'll Be Fine!

**No Chapter 29 for you! Ha ha!**

* * *

_**BONUS CHAPTER**_

_**We'll Be Fine!**_

Mew and Monty stared in an odd mixture of awe and horror at the flaming wreckage of what once was their business. Bits of fiery debris were still raining from the sky. Mew slapped her forehead.

"What just happened?" she asked quietly.

Monty's eyes were devoid of any emotion except begrudging disbelief as he slowly shook his head, chuckled and whispered, "For the second time this week..."

* * *

_Earlier that day..._

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Squirtle asked as she and Coran got ready to leave.

Mew stuck her tongue out. "Ech. No. I hate Cape Coast."

"I'll just stay here and complete some missions," said Monty. "None of us have really completed any for quite some time, and while I agree that saving the world is a wholesome and fulfilling pastime, it doesn't fix the gaping hole in the budget."

Squirtle smiled. "That's my boy."

"I'm older than you," Monty said, frowning.

"Alright, I'll just leave you here, then." Squirtle shrugged as she put on her Treasure Bag.

"Don't worry! We'll be fine!" Mew comforted.

Squirtle shook her head, chuckling. "I'll see you guys when I get back, then."

"Squirtle, are you coming?" Coran called from outside. "And can I have a bag?"

"Yes, and no," Squirtle answered.

"Aw, why can I never have a bag?" Coran's voice faded as they walked out of Nuzlocke to the west.

"Well..." Mew clapped her paws together. "We have the place to ourselves. The whole town of Nuzlocke at our fingertips. What do you want to do?"

"The supply closet is looking bare," Monty observed, opening a cupboard in Squirtle's room.

Mew rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. We fill up the supply closet, and then we do something fun."

"If you can find a fun mission, then we'll do that one. Otherwise, we'll be doing work." Monty grinned as he walked past Mew towards the shopping district of Nuzlocke.

Mew groaned. "You can't live your life being so stuck up! Live a little!"

* * *

Mew crossed her arms, waiting impatiently for Monty to finish shopping.

"Is that everything you need today?" Shuppet asked, using Psychic to carry the bags full of groceries and supplies to the checkout counter.

Monty scrutinized the contents of each paper bag. "Yes, I think this will do for now."

"Alright, the total is..." Shuppet closed her eyes, doing quick math in her head. "2,400 Poké."

Monty nodded, before realizing he had no money. He looked back at Mew.

"Seriously? You came on a shopping trip without any_ Poké?_" she said flatly. Nonetheless, she handed Shuppet the amount that was due. Monty picked up the bags.

"Hey, uh...before you go, I have a question," Shuppet called as they were heading out the door. "Do you think I'm...ignoring Coran?"

Monty and Mew exchanged glances. Monty nodded. "You seem to refuse to make eye contact with him, and you mumble whenever you have to talk to him. I thought it was us in general, but you're fine right now."

"Why?" Mew asked curiously. "Are you ignoring Coran?"

Shuppet shook her head. "No!...I mean, I'm not trying to. But...never mind."

"Alright, we've done the shopping. Can we do something enjoyable now?" Mew said, exasperated.

"Pokémon hordes!" A Mawile holding a picket sign rushed up and down the main street. "Hordes of violent Pokémon that can kill you! They'll try! Save yourself while you can!"

Monty ignored her. "We need to do missions, remember?"

"Monty! Squirtle isn't here to say no! Loosen up!" Mew said, giving Monty a shove.

"We're under attack!" the Mawile kept screaming. "Save yourselves! Evacuate immediately! Death is imminent!"

Mew scrutinized the Mawile. "Who's that crackpot?"

"I don't know her name. I don't think anyone does. All she ever really does is stand on a street corner screaming about end times," Monty explained.

Shuppet leaned over the counter to get a good look at the Mawile. "Oh, her. Yeah...she's strange. But the last time Benette and I went on an expedition to a Mystery Dungeon, she turned out to be right. At least, partway. What's she screeching about now?"

Monty listened for a bit. "Pokémon hordes, it seems."

Shuppet nodded. "Those have been a problem lately."

"What are Pokémon hordes?" Mew asked.

"They started happening before the disappearance of Xerneas and Yveltal, so it's not about that. I suppose some bad Pokémon just decided they could do more when they teamed up. Some aim to steal, some aim to maim, and some just want to destroy things. It's vulgar, in my opinion," said Monty.

"Well, have a good day, guys. Have fun with your mission," Shuppet said as she began organizing shelves in the back of the store.

"That's the plan!" Mew replied as they headed back to the business.

* * *

Monty was perusing the flyers stuck to the bulletin board outside. "You wanted a fun mission, right?"

"I want enjoyable. Maybe not a mission, please?" Mew called from inside, sorting the groceries and such into the supply closet.

"Mew, Squirtle wanted us to-" Monty couldn't finish.

_**BOOM**_

Mew's head poked out of the doorway to the business. "What was that?!"

"It sounded like an explosion," Monty said, looking into Nuzlocke. He saw nothing, however, and went back to sorting through the flyers.

"You seem kind of nonchalant about the fact that something spontaneously combusted behind us," Mew said flatly.

**_BOOM_**

"Okay, we can't ignore this in good conscience," Mew protested.

Monty reluctantly tore himself away from the bulletin board to see what was going on. This time, he saw pillars of smoke rising up. "Alright, come on. Let's go."

Making their way into Nuzlocke, the two Pokémon knew something was wrong. Was it the screaming voices ringing out from every corner? The townsmon fleeing the now burning city?

Or was it the gigantic horde of Voltorb and Electrode growing closer with every second?

The matter didn't need much thought, honestly.

"Alright, Mew, we're here. What do we do?" Monty turned to her.

Mew was aghast. "What? You're asking me?"

"You're the one who wanted to come here."

"Well, um...let's stop 'em, I guess."

"Just...throw moves at them?" Monty asked.

"...Sure."

"Alright, then."

And this is what they did. The advancing wave of red and white came closer and closer, but no amount of AncientPower or Leaf Tornado would stop them, or even slow them down.

"Okay, that didn't work," Mew said, wiping her forehead.

"I say we run. What do you think?" Monty turned to Mew calmly.

"I concur. Let's bounce," Mew agreed.

They turned around and dashed through the streets as fast as they could, trying to outrun the wave of white and red balls, each frantic step they took accented by an explosion.

Monty looked back at the horde as they ran down the main street of Nuzlocke. Debris of shops and stores were blasted onto the road below. Scarves, ribbons, jewels and berries spewed out of window displays, raining down onto the streets.

_**BOOM**_

"Alright, we aren't gonna last long out here," Mew said, glancing back at the wave of Voltorb behind them.

Monty nodded. "We should find a place to hunker down until this blows over."

Looking frantically up and down the street, Mew finally spotted a small space created by a toppled building. She raced over to it, with Monty in tow.

Sliding under the debris, they crouched low, hiding themselves in the darkness under the wood building's remains.

_**BOOM**_

"Do you think we're safe here?" Mew whispered.

Monty shook his head. "This is a short-term solution. We need a long-term if we're going to get out of this conundrum alive."

"Long-term? What does that mean?"

"It means we've got to stop the explosive storm outside instead of hoping it'll stop anytime soon!"

"Alright." Mew nodded. "Long-term solution...long-term solution...got any bright ideas?"

"Well, let's think about this. The best approach is to knock them out if possible, right?"

"Well, yeah, that'd be the best case scenario," Mew agreed.

Monty continued. "What do the Voltorb and Electrode have in common?"

"...They're balls?"

"Not what I'm looking for."

"...Electric?"

Monty nodded vigorously. "That's it. And the Electric type's only weakness is..."

_**BOOM**_

"Monty, now is not the time for mind puzzles!" Mew said through gritted teeth.

"Alright! We need a Ground-type move that could preferably wipe out all of them at once."

"Earthquake! Earthquake'd work!" Mew exclaimed.

"Yes! So turn into something that knows Earthquake!" Monty told her.

"Um..." Mew hesitated. "I...I can't use Earthquake."

"What?!" Monty shrieked, nearly alerting every round white and red object in the vicinity to their position. "Can't you transform into a Golem or something?"

"I've never transformed into something that uses Earthquake, so I can't - It's a long and complicated process, and I don't think now's the time to give you the one-'o-one!"

"Well, we need an Earthquake!...Wait! I know! Technical Machines!" Monty exclaimed.

"What?"

"Technical Machines. TMs. They let you use moves! There's one for Earthquake, I'm sure of it!"

Mew saw where Monty was going with it. "And I can learn any move..."

"Right. So if we get you the Earthquake TM, you could use it!"

"Alright, sounds like a plan. But where are the TMs?"

"They're right-"

_**BOOM**_

The building across the street went up in flames from the inside, the force of the explosion blowing it apart. TMs and HMs lay scattered among wooden beams and planks on the dirt.

There was a sickening silence underneath their shelter. Finally, Mew spoke. "That...That was them, wasn't it?"

"One of those disks is our Earthquake," Monty confirmed grimly.

Mew locked eyes with Monty for a moment, before rushing out from under their makeshift shelter and jolting to and fro from disk to disk like a bolt of electricity. "Hey, Monty! Are you going to sit there bug-eyed, or are you going to help?!" Mew shouted.

Monty realized what he was (or wasn't) doing, and rushed into the street to help Mew's search. Giving the area a quick scan, he gave a relieved sigh. There were no Voltorb or Electrode anywhere in sight. He immediately dropped down and started picking up TMs, looking for Earthquake.

They worked in silence for a long time. It was quiet. Quiet was good, since it meant there were no hostile Pokémon around.

"Bug Buzz...no. Dazzling Gleam...no. Flash...gross," Monty whispered to himself as he picked up each TM, booted it up, and threw it away in disgust. Nonchalantly looking up from his monotonous task, he saw-

"Aha! Found it!" Mew exclaimed.

-a wave of angry Voltorb and Electrode, ready to charge.

_Mew booted up TM26. It contained Earthquake. Teach Earthquake to a Pokémon?_

"Yes! Yes!" Mew screeched at it, poking it with her paw, hoping it would do something.

"Hurry up, Mew, we don't have much time!" Monty warned, warily eyeing the advancing enemy.

_Which Pokémon would you like to learn Earthquake?_

"Me! Mew! Hurry up! Stop scrolling the text so slowly!"

_Mew wants to learn Earthquake._

"So hurry up and do it already!" Mew screamed, looking up frantically to see that the Voltorb were speeding up.

_But Mew already knows four moves. Delete a move to make room for Earthquake?_

"What? Monty, you didn't tell me about this!" Mew protested.

Monty whipped his head back to look at Mew. "Now is not the time to be finicky, Mew! Just delete a move and relearn it later!"

"Alright, fine," Mew grumbled.

_Which move would you like to forget?_

"Um...Surf."

"You know Surf?" Monty asked incredulously, temporarily forgetting about the red and white apocalypse headed their way.

"It was a one time thing. I've never gotten around to-"

_Mew cannot forget Surf._

"WHAT?" Mew roared.

"Just forget another move!" Monty remembered the apocalypse by this time.

"Alright! Power-Up Punch! I'll forget Power-Up Punch!"

_1...2...3...and..._

"Hurry up!" Mew wanted to slam the machine against the dirt ground.

_Poof! Mew forgot Power-Up Punch and..._

"Almost...there..." Monty winced, ready to endure a fiery Armageddon.

_Mew learned Earthquake!_

"Eat quake, you explosive freaks!" Mew screamed as the world around them began to tremble. The ground underneath them cracked, and the balls of destruction were bounced around on the unstable ground until they could take no more. They were all fainted.

"Wow," Monty breathed. "That was close."

"That's the power of one hundred base stats," Mew said, smiling.

"What does that mean?"

"I dunno. Let's get back to the business. Maybe we have time for one mission before the day's over."

"You're still up for a mission?" Monty asked.

"No. Not really."

* * *

Eventually, they came back to the business building. Monty looked across the fields west of it. "Don't you think Squirtle and Coran should be back by now?"

Mew floated up beside Monty as she looked across the field. "Maybe they're on the other side of the volcano."

"Still, they should be back by now, shouldn't-"

_**BOOM**_

Both of them winced at the final explosion, and slowly turned around.

Mew and Monty stared in an odd mixture of awe and horror at the flaming wreckage of what once was their business. Bits of fiery debris were still raining from the sky. Mew slapped her forehead.

"What just happened?" she asked quietly.

Monty's eyes were devoid of any emotion except begrudging disbelief as he slowly shook his head, chuckled and whispered, "For the second time this week..."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this inSTALLment of No Pokeballs Allowed. Tune in next time to see what happened to Squirtle and Coran in Cape Coast. Review if you can, too!**


	34. Shortage

**If someone would do fan art of Monty and Mew wincing as the business blows up in the background...I would be so happy...**

**Of course, this is only if you've been reading the story and were thinking 'Man! I want to draw fan art for this, but have no idea what to draw'. It's a suggestion. Not a command. Don't feel obligated to do anything. I'm serious. Actually, I probably shouldn't have said anything...I'm sorry...**

**...My Canadian is showing.**

* * *

_**Chapter 29**_

_**Shortage**_

_"Oh, shoot, it's getting dark!" Squirtle exclaimed as they exited the stacks._

_Coran looked at Squirtle, concerned. "Why the 'oh, shoot'?"_

_Squirtle turned her gaze forward warily. "There are things in Cape Coast that you don't want to run into in the dark."_

_They made their way through the streets, the buildings surrounding them seeming even more intimidating than during the day. Suddenly, Coran felt a metal blade against his throat._

_"Eep!"_

_"What goods ya gots?"_

"Sq-Sq-Squirtle...Who's behind me?" Coran stuttered.

Squirtle turned around slowly. "It's a Magnemite."

"Electric and Steel-type, right?"

"Oy, stap yer yappin'! Go on tellin' me what goods ya got!"

Squirtle looked from the Magnemite thug to Coran, who had a big smirk plastered on his face. _Oh, no, he's going to say it._

"I...I have food, do you want it?"

"Ya's got food, ah? It's rotten, that's what it is, yeah?"

_Don't say it, Coran._

"It's more of a sandwich..."

_Oh, Arceus, Coran..._

"A _knuckle sandwich!_" Coran whipped around, slinging his fist forward into Magnemite's eye.

"Aiya!" Magnemite yelped in pain. "A'ight, ya wants to play dirty? I'll tango, bud, but you's had better be ready!"

Magnemite rose out of Coran's reach. Coran yelled back. "Come back down here, you chicken!"

When the Magnemite gave him a look of confusion, he revised it. "I mean, uh...Come back down here, you coward!"

"Takes one ta know one, buster!" Magnemite yelled, before turning around, towards an alley. "I could use some assistance here!"

Squirtle's eyes widened in fear as she saw Magnemite after Magnemite, Magneton after Magneton come crawling out of that alley.

"A'ight, doggies. Youse have messed with the wrong Pokémon, see? Metal Sound! Screech! Let loose, fellas!"

Squirtle didn't know what hit her. It was an almost literal wall of sound that blasted her ears. Through screwed up eyes, she looked at Coran, who was having the same effect on his ears.

Something you should know about Eevee and Riolu is the fact that they are both very acute listeners. Maybe not as good as a Clefairy, but definitely above average. Usually, acute hearing is a good thing; it allows you to hear attackers coming from behind, or eavesdrop on an (ex)friend. Unfortunately, not only can these perks have loopholes and consequences (Magnemite float, and I said I'm sorry, Lauren), but it can also be a curse. Such as sound based moves like Screech and Metal Sound. These attacks are loud enough to disarm Pokémon with average hearing. Truly, Coran and Squirtle were Blessed with Suck.

Unable to take the loud, high-pitched noise, Squirtle and Coran passed out.

* * *

Coran's head was pounding like a construction site endorsed by Red Bull. Before he could question how he knew about Red Bull, he heard a tinny voice calling his name, as if through a sheet of wax paper.

"He's moving...Coran! Are you okay?" a voice that sounded like Squirtle asked. The high-pitched overtones of the voice pierced Coran's skull, sending a jolt through his brain. He winced.

"Oh-" Squirtle mumbled. "Oh, sorry. Can you still hear me? Can...can you even open your eyes?"

Coran forced his eyes open. He was suspended over what looked like a metal platform. He surveyed his surroundings, but before he could ascertain his location, he realized his arms and legs were bound by cuffs attached to poles on the ceiling and floor. "Squirtle?"

"Beside you," her voice came, indeed, from beside him.

He turned his head (one of the few things he could move) to the left, where her voice was coming from. He saw another metal platform with Squirtle giving him a nervous smile upon it.

"Are you okay?" Coran asked, his voice sounding peculiar.

Squirtle looked down at her paws, which were encased in what looked like cinder blocks. "Marginally."

Coran again surveyed his surroundings. The room they were in wasn't very big, but it had scaffolds and walkways among the upper part of it. These walkways are what Squirtle was currently standing on. "Squirtle, do you have any idea where we are?" he asked.

"Um...I think it's the sewers," Squirtle answered. "I'd assume the Magnemite and Magneton brought us here."

"Oh, yeah, them," Coran grumbled. "Why was it only him mugging us if he had a whole army in a nearby alley?"

Squirtle shrugged, then changed the subject. "Got any bright ideas?"

Coran looked at his bindings. The chains were rusty. With a bit of force, they could probably break. He tugged on them a bit. Flakes of rust rained down on his head. He smiled. _This'll be easy._

He yanked on the chain, freeing his right arm.

"Um, Coran?" Squirtle said uneasily.

Ignoring her for the moment, Coran yanked his left arm free.

With nothing supporting his upper body, he plummeted towards the dirty water below. Breathing heavily from the shock, he calmed himself. _Alright, did not think that through...Okay._

He heard light chuckling above him. Squirtle was trying to stifle a laugh. "Shut up! You'd have made the same mistake!"

Squirtle smirked through laughs. "No...no, I wouldn't have."

"...Fine." Coran began thinking about how to get out. He bent at the waist, trying to reach the chains his legs were attached to. He couldn't reach them.

_Dangit! I could never touch my toes...Guess being a Riolu doesn't change that. __Well, that's __if I wasn't always a Riolu...This is not the time for that._ Coran thought as he felt the blood rushing to his head. He tried to yank on the chains again with his legs, but with no leverage, it didn't have the same effect. It pulled Coran's body up instead. Coran looked down, and saw the filthy water below. He began wondering if he really wanted to get out of these bindings.

"Here, I'll help," Squirtle's voice came from above.

"Wait, no!" Coran protested, but it was too late. Star-shaped rays locked onto the chains, and they broke like pretzel sticks. Coran fell into the murky liquid below. Resurfacing, Coran hacked, trying to dislodge the sewage in his throat. His efforts were accompanied by Squirtle's raucous laughter.

"Pfft...Ha ha ha ha ha!" Squirtle tried her best to get a look at the soaked Riolu in the water.

"You meant for that to happen, didn't you?" Coran asked sourly.

Squirtle put on an innocent look. "No, I didn't! I seriously didn't."

Coran wasn't convinced. He started climbing out onto the concrete platform, making his way up to the metal scaffolds that currently held Squirtle.

"Look, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. Just like you, when you cut that first set of chains," Squirtle said, trying to defend herself.

"Oh, it's fine," Coran replied, who from the looks of it, was not fine at all. "Here, let me get you out of those bonds."

"Thanks, I appreciate WHOA!" Squirtle cried as, in one instant, her legs were freed from the concrete, and the metal she was standing on was freed from the rest of the platform. She plummeted towards the sewage water, just like Coran had not moments before.

Squirtle emerged from the water, gasping for air. She looked up at where she had stood, and saw Coran, looking down at her, arms crossed.

"Whoops," he said with a smirk.

"Okay, okay. We're even," Squirtle replied. "Now let's find a way out of here, and hopefully some sort of place where we can wash off."

* * *

"Sewers? Seriously?" Coran looked at the manhole cover in disgust. "Why'd they have to bring us there?"

"Let's...let's get back to Nuzlocke and take a shower or something," Squirtle said, shivering. "Ugh, I'm still wet."

The night air was cold, but Cape Coast was far from silent. Everywhere were quiet voices, whispering secrets. Far off angry noises came from the other side of the city, as if they were warning that something bad was around any corner.

"Let's get out of here. I don't like it," Coran stated.

* * *

"Hey, suckers, how's it hangin', ah?" Magnemite floated slowly into the room of the sewers, ready to give the two prisoners the sassiest speech they've ever heard. "Heh heh...see what I did there, puppy? I've got more where that came-"

Some Pokémon say that the haunting cry they heard that night stayed with them for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Coran groaned. "I'm famished. Do you have any berries?"

Squirtle nodded. "Yeah, they're right in my...DAG NABBIT!"

"What?!" Coran exclaimed.

"My bag! It was stolen! Those stupid Magnemite must've took it!"

"Aw, no! How many do you have left?"

"Well, I had another one stolen at Faren Heights...that leaves me with...three. And Monty and Mew have the other two."

Coran gaped. "So I'm not getting one?"

"You never were."

As they walked back to Nuzlocke, Coran kept begging for a bag.

Little did he know he'd be bagged soon enough...

* * *

**No, I do not know someone named Lauren, nor have I ever. Also, in case you're wondering, Blessed with Suck is a trope. Look it up.**

**Wow, over 100 reviews...I'm flattered. Truly, I am. I never thought my story would get so much feedback. Thank you, everybody who's read this. And another thank you to the ones who have reviewed it. Even the dude who threatened to kill me. Even him.**

**...Actually, no. It's probably not a good idea to encourage that type of behaviour.**


	35. Sacked

**Don't doubt that Pokémon have some sort of plumbing system in their homes. Just...pretend that it's all rustic or something. Make this a little easier for yourself.**

* * *

_**Chapter 30**_

_**Sacked**_

"Hi, Monty! Hi, Mew! I'm glad to see the place didn't burn down in my absence," Squirtle said with a smile upon greeting them in the (newly restored) business.

"Well, it didn't _burn_ down, but - Ow!" Monty rubbed his shoulder, which had been punched by Mew.

"She hasn't caught on. Let's keep it that way, alright?" she said out of the corner of her mouth. Monty nodded grudgingly.

Coran came into the business next. "Bad news, guys; we got mugged, and the bags we have now are the only ones we have. Which means I'm _never getting one!_"

"You were thugged?" Monty exclaimed.

Mew shook her head. "Mugged. With an 'M'," she corrected.

"Right. Well, you'll be happy to know we restocked while you were gone. The supply cabinet's full," Monty said proudly.

Squirtle walked over to the supply cabinet and opened it. "Good, good. This is all the stuff I wanted you to get, but why on earth is it so disorganized? You know I like things being tidy."

Mew huffed, but said nothing.

"Well, thanks for shopping, anyways. How much did it cost?" Squirtle asked.

"What for?" Mew wanted to know.

"It's for balancing the budget."

"The groceries in total were 2,400 Poké," Monty answered.

"Alright. Just let me go and record that in my..." Squirtle trailed off as she walked into her office, looking back at the door with a perplexed look on her face. "Strange...I could've sworn this door opened inwards..." And the door closed.

Coran gave Mew and Monty a suspicious look. "You'll be fine, huh?"

"Deny, deny, deny," Mew said lowly to Monty.

"Uh, no. We didn't say anything like that," Monty answered obediently, giving a strange look to Mew.

Mew smacked her forehead.

Coran crossed his arms. "Okay, what actually happened?"

Mew sighed. "Alright, fine. A bunch of ballistic balls broke in and started exploding all over the place. They got the business. It's a wonder nothing was too seriously damaged on the interior, since that's where it happened."

"What happened to 'deny, deny, deny'?" Monty asked, shocked Mew would open up that easily.

"You happened," Mew replied flatly.

Coran looked around critically at the business. "I'm impressed you guys were able to rebuild this place in a day."

At that moment, Squirtle came out of her office. "Alright, everything's good...I think," she stated, giving a suspicious look at her door. "I need to go take a bath now, for reasons neither of us will mention, right, Coran?"

Coran nodded vigorously. "Oh, uh, yeah. I need to take one, too."

"Alright. Have a good night, Monty. See you in the morning. Mew, are you staying with us again?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I don't really have another place to go," Mew said, shrugging.

As Monty left, Coran pointed down to the main street. "There's a hotel down there."

"Coran!" Squirtle said, aghast.

"Oh, right. We're free, they cost money," Coran remembered.

"...Money?" Mew asked, confused.

_Shoot! I used human lingo! Poké! Poké! Poké!_ "I meant Poké. Sorry."

"...Well, I'm bushed. I'm going to bed. 'Night, guys!" Mew said, seemingly waving it off.

Squirtle walked into her office, presumably to her bathroom to take a shower. Coran went to do the same.

Soon enough, two jets of water were raining down in two separate parts of the building.

Only one would turn off.

* * *

Squirtle, now dry, sighed in relief. She didn't smell like sewage anymore, which was a big plus. _But,_ she thought, _why is Coran's shower still running?_

"Coran?" she called across the business, quiet enough as to not wake Mew. When she didn't get an answer, she went over to Coran's guest wing side of the building. "Coran, you there?"

She knocked on the bathroom door. Still no answer. "Coran, this isn't funny. You're wasting water."

She tried the lock. Apparently there was none. _Strange, _she thought, _I could've sworn this door locked before I left for Cape Coast..._

Nonetheless, she didn't really feel like violating Coran's privacy, so she decided to just yell at him to hurry up and head off to bed.

This worked for the first thirty minutes. After that, she got worried. Again, now in the dead of night, she walked over to Coran's part of the building. "Coran, I can't even calculate how much water you've wasted. Get out of there! It's probably cold water now, anyways!"

Dead silence on the other side of the door. Now Squirtle was mentally freaking out. "Coran, I'm coming in!"

The door (which she, again, could've sworn had a lock) swung open. The shower curtain was drawn. Now Squirtle was getting uncomfortable, as if she was living someone else's cliché. Shaking the feeling out of her head, she called Coran's name again.

No answer. Not even movement.

"Okay," Squirtle continued, "you know how much I don't want to do this, but you've left me no choice." She walked up slowly to the shower curtain and thrust it back.

A scream resonated all throughout Nuzlocke.

The only remnants of Coran that were there was a ring of charred porcelain on the shower floor.

* * *

_What happened to the shower?__  
_

These were the first thoughts of Coran, who woke up alone on warm, rocky ground. The second thought, although not related to the first thought in terms of subject matter, was more related to finding an explanation for the stark difference between where he was and where he used to be about thirty seconds ago.

_Is this a dream?_

The third thought, following the pattern of having nothing to do with each other, and more following the pattern of someone who had woken up somewhere different than where he last remembered himself, was the thought he decided was the most useful question he could ask at the moment, and was the one he decided to follow up on answering.

"Where in blue blazes am I?"

It...apparently...was the one he decided on vocalizing as well.

"You are in my domain."

Coran looked around frantically. "Who is that?"

"Turn around."

Coran did and came face to face with

"Groudon!"

No, Coran was mistaken. He was face to face with a Kyogre, who

"Yes. I am Groudon. And I am in need of your help."

Alright, I guess...Groudon. Okay.

Coran nodded. "Alright, what with?" he asked, oddly trusting of this giant lava dinosaur he just met.

"It is of my counterpart and friend, Kyogre," Groudon explained.

Wait, what? No, it's not Kyogre. Coran's supposed to be talking with...Sorry. This is unprofessional. I'm supposed to be unbiased. Alright, let's uh...let's continue, I guess.

"What happened?"

"As you might know, Kyogre disappeared a while ago, only a few weeks after the disappearance of Xerneas and Yveltal," Groudon explained.

"Yes, I do know that. Kyogre's been one of our priorities for a while."

Groudon looked confused for a moment, then nodded. "You mean your group. Or, as you call it, your business. Yes, I am familiar with your work. You are currently looking for Legendaries to seek out the Voice, correct?"

"Right," Coran said, once again, strangely undaunted by the literal god of fire before him.

"But I digress. I mentioned the fact that Kyogre is, or was, missing. I found him," Groudon explained.

Wait, you found him? All three words in that sentence are wrong! You're not supposed to find him, Monty is supposed to find _her _during

"Really? That's great!" Coran exclaimed.

...I'm confused. You aren't supposed to be able to talk. Not when I don't write it. Characters can't talk unless someone writes about it. What...What's happening here?

"No, it isn't. Because Kyogre has lost his memory."

"What?!" Coran exclaimed.

What?! Kyogre lost his...what?! No, no, no! This is all wrong!

"Yes, it's sad. We need some way to restore it. I have heard you know of Uxie's whereabouts."

Groudon doesn't know about Uxie's location? Why am I questioning what's happening in my story? _My_ story? I'm really sorry about this, guys. This should not be happening. And I know narrators saying anything other than what's going on is unprofessional, but I'm honestly baffled.

"We met her while investigating Faren Bay, yes. I know where she is," Coran confirmed.

"Good. As you know, she is the guardian of knowledge," said Groudon.

Coran nodded. "She has the power to take away memory, too, doesn't she? She did it in Foggy Forest." Coran then donned a confused look.

Wait...why can't I see his thoughts?

...No. No, no...no...not now...not now. Please, not now!

"Yes, and that is why I am requesting you to escort Kyogre to Uxie. I believe she may be able to restore Kyogre's memory. Normally, he would be able to hold his own once he knew where to go, but...his memory loss has affected him more than I anticipated."

No, no, NO! This is all wrong! Uxie can't restore memory! Why can't you escort Kyogre? There's so much wrong with this...

"Alright, I'll do my best. Where is Kyogre now?"

"Right behind me. He is sleeping now, but when he wakes up, you can depart."

"Don't you mean when I wake up?" Coran asked.

Wait, what?

"I'm sorry?" Groudon asked, a confused undertone lacing his voice.

"Well, this is a dream, isn't it? I'll find Kyogre in the waking world, and lead him to Uxie. But I can't do it in a dream."

Coran thinks he's in a dream?

"This is no dream. I brought you here to help immediately."

Coran was silent for a moment. "You teleported me here from the business, alone, without Squirtle, Monty, or Mew, to escort Kyogre I-don't-know-how-far to Uxie?"

This chapter is a train wreck.

"I would appreciate it if you start now," Groudon said curtly.

Coran was speechless. By that I mean he wasn't speaking. I don't know why. Was he shocked, or...I'm sorry. I'm...I'm lost. I'll just try my best to tell you what's happening in real time.

"You couldn't have visited me _at Nuzlocke?!_" he yelled angrily. "Where I could have gotten the help of my friends?" he...also yelled. Apparently he wasn't done.

Is he done? I...I guess so.

"I apologize for my lack of foresight. But now I am unable to teleport you back. You must go now, with haste."

Coran had an angry look on his face, but he seemed to accept it. "How do I get out?" he asked.

"There is a walkway behind you. When Kyogre is up, which shouldn't take long, you may start," said Groudon.

This Groudon guy really has no personality, huh, guys?

Suddenly Kyogre was up. I won't tell you how Groudon and Coran explained what was going on to him, because that would be redundant. Plus, it was really boring. So let's say that they just went up the walkway into the outside sun. I'd tell you where they are, but I honestly don't know.

Agh, I'm falling apart! What kind of author am I? I can't even keep a grip on my perspective! I'm really sorry, I just don't understand what's going...on...wait, no. Oh, no. This...this can't be happening...no...no, no, no, no, nonononononononono! No! No, please! Please! Don't do this to

* * *

Squirtle stared in shock at her guest shower, where Coran had been residing not an hour before.

Mew heard the commotion and flew in. "Squirtle, what's the matter? And why did you bust into the guest room where Coran's...oh."

Squirtle was in tears. "Where...where...where...where did you go? Coran...not again..." she stammered.

"Squirtle, he's alive. I know he is," Mew tried to comfort her, though she knew her words were empty.

"No, you don't, Mew," Squirtle said quietly. "Neither of us know if he's alive. But...we should search for him. We'll...we'll do better tomorrow than we will in the middle of the night. Goodnight, Mew."

Squirtle walked back through the foyer, and into her office and bedroom. She collapsed on her bed, and cried.

* * *

**I apologize. I was being...really unprofessional up there. I'll be fine after this. I promise. Normal chapters from here on out.**


	36. Memory

**As promised, no more weird chapters from now on!**

* * *

_**Chapter 31**_

_**Memory**_

Squirtle awoke upset that morning. _This is, what, the third time? I can't even count how many times Coran's gone missing on me. Are you even alive this time?_

Squirtle sat down, looking out of a window. The eastern sun rose like it did every morning, but it seemed...empty. _Where are you?_

"Up so early, Squirtle?" Mew's voice came from behind Squirtle. She turned around to face her.

Squirtle nodded sadly. "I couldn't sleep. I'm just wondering where he is."

"I know. He tends to do this a lot, doesn't he?" Mew agreed. "So...are we going to go looking for him today?"

Squirtle frowned. "I'm not sure. I think we should give it a day. He...he could be...making his way back right now."

"Well, why I'm asking is because we haven't been hunting down legendaries for a while. I'd like to get back on that as soon as possible."

That's when Monty burst through the door, breathing heavily, a shocked look on his face. Mew and Squirtle stared at him for a moment, letting him catch his breath.

"Ky-Ky-K-K..." Monty wheezed between breaths. He bent over, exhausted.

"Did you run the whole way here from your house?" Squirtle asked, impressed.

Monty gave a tired nod. "O...Okay...Kyogre...is outside...Nuzlocke...and...and...Coran-"

Monty couldn't finish. At that last word, Squirtle was out the door.

"Kyogre?" Mew asked him.

Monty, finally breathing normally, nodded again. "He's outside town. He said he's waiting for Coran to finish with an errand he said he had to run."

* * *

Squirtle ran down the path frantically towards the outskirts of Nuzlocke, before realizing she had no idea which side of Nuzlocke Coran was located at. _What was it Monty said? Something about...about...Coran and...Nuzlocke. And a Kyogre. Wait, Kyogre!?_

Squirtle lifted her head, and saw villagers flock towards the south side of Nuzlocke. She weaved her way through the crowd, trying to get there as fast as possible, reasoning that where there was attention, there were legendaries.

She was right. Kyogre was just floating there right outside of Nuzlocke. It was a sight to behold. Everyone around was enthralled with the fact that there was a legendary Pokémon right there. Including Squirtle.

"Um...Hello, Kyogre," Squirtle said slowly.

Kyogre did not aknowledge her. Marvin came up next to Squirtle silently.

"He won't respond, you know. He has memory loss. Or something of that ilk," Marvin drawled.

Squirtle turned to him. "Memory loss? Who could give the lord of the sea memory loss?"

"Do you want me to answer that question? Lately, I've been having Pokémon asking me questions they don't want answered," said Marvin.

"Yes, I'd like you to answer the question," Squirtle replied.

"I can't. I don't know the answer." Marvin then turned around and walked back into Nuzlocke.

Squirtle screwed up her face, running over the conversation in her head. Dismissing it after the third time through, Squirtle turned her attention back to Kyogre.

"Um, sir?"

Kyogre floated in the air, staring blankly forward.

"Excuse me? Giant floating blue fish? Memory loss? Hello?"

Kyogre jolted a bit, as if waking from a daydream, then directed his eyes to Squirtle on the ground without moving his body.

"Yes?"

"Um...Why are you here? In Nuzlocke, I mean," Squirtle asked.

"Coran's taking me to the Yucksie. I forgot some stuff," Kyogre stated.

Squirtle's mind nearly imploded. "_Coran_? Coran's taking you to...Yucksie? Who's Yucksie?"

"He means Uxie, Squirtle. Oh, and good to see you again," a voice came from behind Squirtle. Her eyes began to water as she recognized exactly who it was.

"CORAN!" Squirtle screamed, whipping around and tackling him to the ground. "Where the heck did you go?! Why didn't you tell me? Why is Kyogre with you?"

Coran laughed, trying to push Squirtle off of him. "One question at a time! One question at a time!"

Squirtle got off of him. "Alright. First, where did you go?"

Coran put his hands on his hips. "Honestly, I'm not sure because I never got a _Wonder Map._ If I had a _Wonder Map,_ maybe I could better answer your question. But in all honesty, one minute I was taking a shower, the next I was talking to Groudon in an underground chamber."

"Alright, I'm sorry for not giving you a Wonder Map, but we don't really have much choice now, do we?" Squirtle smirked. "But...how did you get to that 'chamber', then?"

Coran shrugged. "My best guess is that Groudon teleported me there. I don't know. But he set me up to be an escort for Kyogre here. He lost his memory, and he says Uxie can fix it. I dunno. But I figured, why not? As long as I took a detour here to tell you guys I was alive and all, and shop, I'd be fine. Plus, legendary Pokémon! I'm pretty sure he's not the Voice, but we can never be too sure, right?"

Squirtle had been nodding through the whole conversation, then donned a look that was located somewhere between shocked, amused and disgusted. "You went shopping? Alone?"

"Hey, Shuppet taught me the difference between Revivers and Revisers," Coran said as he crossed his arms and huffed.

"Let me look at your bags," Squirtle offered as she started sorting through the paper bags that Shuppet had probably given him. She looked up, trying to hold back a laugh. "Well, these are Reviver seeds...but those aren't Oran Berries. They're Oren Berries. They hurt you."

Coran huffed again. "Y'know, I don't need these...anyway..." he said as he started dumping the contents of the bags on the ground. "But point being, I'm going to the nameless lakes. Do you want to come?"

Squirtle nodded. "Sure. Just let me get Mew and Monty. I feel like they'd want to know that you aren't...y'know, dead."

"Sounds good," Coran started sweeping the Reviver seeds back into the bags, and picked them up.

Squirtle looked over Coran's shoulder at Kyogre. "Don't you want to make sure he doesn't run off or something?"

Coran looked back at him. "Oh, Kyogre? Right now, he isn't very independent. And by that I mean he won't do anything unless I tell him to. It sounds cool being the lord of the lord of the sea, but it gets annoying reminding him to chew every time he eats something. Hey, buddy!" Coran called to Kyogre. "I'm gonna be gone for a few minutes, so remember to breathe, like we practiced. In and out, remember?"

Kyogre nodded absently.

Coran shook his head. "I'm glad that didn't happen to me...I'd be loopy. But it makes me wonder what the difference was."

* * *

"Hey, Mew, I found him!" Squirtle announced as she came through the front door of the business.

"That quick? Where was he?" Mew asked, sipping what looked like tea.

Monty was at the back of the room, near the kitchen. He turned his head around. "Coran was missing?"

Squirtle gave Mew a look. "You didn't tell him?"

"I was going to," Mew said, "but he offered me tea."

Coran stepped in. "What are you - hibiscus tea? Monty, you know how to make that?"

Monty smiled, taking the pot off of the fire. "My mother taught me to brew. I've been trying to wean off tea for the past few months, but I decided I'd splurge today."

"Well, to answer your question, Mew, Coran was pretty much kidnapped by Groudon, and is escorting Kyogre to Uxie to restore his memory," Squirtle told her.

Mew tilted her head. "You're going to the nameless lakes? Can I come?"

"Um...sure, I'm not going to stop you. But do you mind telling why?" Squirtle asked.

Mew shrugged. "I'm bored."

"I'll come, too!" Monty called from the back of the room. "I, too, am bored!"

"Alright. We're leaving now, if you want to come," said Coran.

* * *

Leaving Nuzlocke behind, Mew began instantly chatting with Kyogre.

"So, Kyogre. Been hypnotizing any Pokémon lately?"

Kyogre kept his eyes on Coran, following him diligently.

Coran looked back at Mew. "You need to address him directly. As in, let him know you're talking to him without using his name. It's...a bother, honestly. Keep following me, bud!"

Kyogre nodded.

"Hey, uh...buddy," Mew said rather uncomfortably.

"Yes?" said Kyogre, without taking his eyes off of Coran.

"You haven't been hypnotizing Pokémon lately in their subconscious, have you?"

"No, I don't think so. Have I, Coran?"

Coran turned back to him. "I don't know that. What you need to do to tell, is see what you're thinking. If you're thinking about hypnotizing Pokémon, you're thinking about hypnotizing Pokémon."

The other three explorers felt a little strange from the way Coran was talking to Kyogre.

Coran saw their reactions and rolled his eyes. "I know. It's frustrating. But he's...well, honestly, right now he's an idiot. I think the memory wipe wiped more than his memory."

"There are the nameless lakes!" Monty shaded his eyes from the sun, looking at the three small lakes in the distance. "We won't need to talk to Kyogre like a toddler for much longer."

"That's good news," Squirtle said, smirking. "The way you're speaking to him is making me sick."

"I think Uxie's in the southernmost one," said Mew.

Coran lead Kyogre to said lake, and started calling for Uxie. "Hey, uh, Uxie? We need your help for something."

At first there was nothing, but a ripple in the water betrayed something under the surface. Finally Uxie broke the water. "Oh, hello. What is it you need?"

Squirtle walked up beside Coran. "Well, uh, Kyogre here has had most of his memory and cognitive functions wiped. You can restore them, right?"

"If they were physically wiped by something, yes. I can reverse the effect. Stand back, and don't get too close." Uxie brought her hands forward, and they began to glow a dark magenta.

Everyone had the good sense to back away from Kyogre. That is, everyone, except Coran.

"Coran, didn't you hear her? Get back-"

A large magenta blast, focused on Kyogre, expanded in a large orb, growing larger. Everyone backed away further. Everyone, again, except Coran, who seemed extremely enthralled by the whole thing.

"Coran! What in Arceus' name are you doing?" Monty shouted, backing away warily. "Get away from there!"

But Coran didn't. Completely mesmerized by the light show in front of him, he began stumbling forward. And in the blink of an eye, he was enveloped by the magenta light.

And before anyone could really compute what happened, the light dissipated. Kyogre and Coran were left standing there, both with a look of recognition on their face. This look of recognition, although similar, looked different on each one's face. Kyogre's face was reigned by mostly embarassment and shock. Coran's face definitely had one of shock, but the prevailing emotion was undoubtely comprehension.

Dawning, grim comprehension.

"Many thanks, Coran," Kyogre said, bowing his head. "I could not have regained my memory without your help. I must return to the seas, but you will have my gratitude."

Coran simply nodded absently, much like Kyogre did when his head was empty.

As Kyogre flew off, Coran's co-workers approached him.

"Coran?" Monty asked quietly. "Are you alright?"

Coran looked at Monty with an empty look in his eyes. He shook his head violently, and he blinked. "Oh...oh. Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry for making you worry, I...I don't know what came over me."

Uxie floated down, concerned. "You shouldn't have done that, Coran. It was extremely dangerous. You're lucky you didn't turn out like Kyogre. I'm actually a bit confused of why that didn't happen," Uxie frowned, then shrugged. "Ah, well, that's a question for another day. I will return to my home under the lake now. Goodbye."

And with that, Uxie dove back under the waters.

"C'mon, let's...let's go back to Nuzlocke, what do you say?" Coran smiled weakly. He locked eyes with Squirtle.

She knew with that one look that he needed to say something to her.

And to her alone.

* * *

"Alright, Monty. I'm sorry. I promise we'll all go on a mission tomorrow, okay? Like it should be," Squirtle promised a frustrated Monty.

"I signed up for this because I needed adventure. Lately I've only been involved in construction and extermination services," He pouted. "I hope you're right, Squirtle. I do. Good night, all."

Monty quietly turned around and walked towards Nuzlocke proper. Squirtle frowned. Something was bothering him. She'd ask him about it tomorrow.

"Squirtle?"

She turned around, and saw Coran leaning on the threshold. "I need to talk to you about something."

"It's serious," Squirtle said solemnly. "Isn't it?"

Coran nodded, then turned around and headed inside.

* * *

Squirtle and Coran were seated across from each other in her office. "Alright, what is it? Did you suffer some sort of brain damage from Uxie's-"

"I remember. Everything."

Squirtle didn't register the statement the first time. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I remember everything. All of it. Everything that happened before I became a Pokémon."

Squirtle's jaw dropped. "So you were a human? Before this?"

Coran nodded. "But it doesn't end there. You might want to pull out your Sanity Test records, Squirtle. This is going to get heavy."

Squirtle, giving him a strange look, did so.

Coran took a deep breath, then began.

"First of all, I'll tell you exactly what I know, then how I know it. I know what I was before I came here. I know what my family was, what my life was like. I know who the Coran double is, who your mother is in relation to me, and what those questions coming up in Treasure Town meant. I know why I am a Riolu. Sort of.

"Alright, let's start this off. I was human, as you suspected. I don't know why I turned into a Pokémon yet, but I plan to find out. I'm from a different planet, as far as I can tell. It's called Earth. I had a mom and a dad and a brother and two dogs. I am fifteen and a half years old. And...oh, boy, here comes the hard part.

"I went to school and all that, but here's where the Coran double comes in. This is where you might want to double check your results...In my world, Pokémon is a video game. A means of entertainment that isn't real. In my world, you exist only on electric screens. And one of these electric entertainment screens is called _Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky._ I know you've probably got a million questions, but let me finish.

"I played this game for enjoyment. _Sky_ is about...a human turning into a Pokémon and going into the Pokémon world. To determine what Pokémon you are, the beginning of _Sky_ has...a personality test. This test asks you questions to determine which Pokémon you will be depending on nature. I got the Sassy result. The main location of _Sky_ is...Treasure Town.

"So in the game, you get to name the protagonist. Since it was supposed to be me, I named it Coran. I chose a Squirtle as my partner. This Squirtle is your mother, or at least, I think she is. But Coran isn't me. He's a projection of me. In the game, he doesn't speak much. You only answer a small handful of questions, most of which are yes or no. I watched them through the small electric screen, piloting them through all of their adventures. That's how I know everything. I played that game until I had one of every Pokémon on my team. Then...I stopped. I guess that's when Coran disappeared.

"Something happened a while in the future that made the Exploration Team Federation crash, and the continent became desolate. A lot of time passed. Then...one day, I woke up here. I don't know why. But I'm going to find out," Coran finished, surveying Squirtle's expression.

Her mouth was open, and she wasn't moving.

"Squirtle? Are you okay?"

"I...I don't believe it. It...it makes so much sense, but...it can't be. I'm...I'm not real?" she stuttered.

"Right now, as well as I can figure, you're as real as I am," Coran shrugged.

Squirtle was shaking her head, backing away from Coran slowly. "I don't...I don't believe it...It can't be true. It...it can't be."

Coran sighed sadly and closed his eyes. "I...I wish I could say I'm as confused as you, Squirtle. But this is what I remember. And honestly, it makes sense to me."

"It makes sense...that's what scares me. Am I really just...an invention for entertainment?" Squirtle laid down on the ground, and began to shiver.

"It's a lot to take in. But I thought you should know. I'll...I'll go to sleep now, and you can decide...you can decide what to do with me tomorrow. Is that okay?"

Squirtle didn't give an answer. She stayed on the floor, mumbling to herself. Coran looked down at the ground in front of him, regretting telling her. "I'm going to bed, then. Good night, Squirtle. See you in the morning."

As Coran walked out of the office and into his guest room, neither he nor Squirtle noticed that Mew was right outside the door, the same look of shock on her face. Shock...and something else.

Anger.

* * *

"...help...me..."


	37. BONUS: Extinction

**I found this chapter just lying around. I guess he...I wrote it a while ago and forgot about it. Anywho, here it is.**

* * *

_**BONUS CHAPTER**_

_**Extinction**_

_One day prior to the death of the last human...__  
_

"Mother, may I go outside to play?" Monty asked innocently.

"Yes, my dear, but please, stay away from humans," his mother warned.

Monty nodded, a bit annoyed. "I know, mother. You tell me every day. 'Now, Monty. You are a Snivy, and you are rare. Humans will snap you up and steal you as soon as they would look at you!'" he repeated.

His mother smiled. "At least I know I'm getting somewhere with you. Go, have fun."

"Alright, thanks, mother!"

* * *

Monty didn't understand why his mother was always telling him that. _Be careful around humans? What humans? They're all dying, aren't they?_ Monty mentally slapped himself for thinking that. _You shouldn't think those thoughts, Monty. Very...macabre._

Monty wandered around outside, whispering to himself about adventures he placed himself in within his mind. He didn't have too many friends free at this time of the day, so he amused himself by having adventures of his own. He was no longer Monty Montgomery. He was the captain of an exploration team, exploring the frontier, finding new lands.

"Captain Monty! Where are we going today?" his faithful partner, Mia asked.

Monty put his hands on his hips heroically. "We're going to explore the unexplored!"

Some Pokémon made fun of him for talking to himself in strange voices. But these taunts meant nothing to Monty Montgomery, Exploring Rescue Team Captain Extraordinaire. These spare moments, spent with the friends he made, rivaled the moments he spent with his real friends.

"But Captain Monty! Are we going to be safe?" Mary exclaimed, putting her hand to her forehead dramatically.

Another thing some people didn't understand about Monty's adventures; he insisted on making all of his 'friends' human. Mary Sue, James, John, Mia, all of his pretend friends were human. Some Pokémon called him perverted, but it didn't bother Monty. He had fun, and to him, that was what mattered.

Monty's mother watched from inside. He was a strange one, that was for sure. He talked to himself, as if he were acting out all the parts of a play. _Well, kids will be kids,_ she thought.

"Monty, where are we of to today?" John asked.

Monty shook a finger at him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. It's _Captain_ Monty, John. But I'll still answer your question. We are headed off to the dreaded Perlex Forest."

"But Captain Monty! That's unexplored territory!" Mary Sue pleaded, a single tear rolling down her perfect cheeks.

Monty nodded solemnly. "That's exactly why we're going, Mary. It's our duty to our country - nay, the _world_, that we explore what has never been explored, brave dangers never before dangered, conquer new ranges never before deranged. And don't worry...I'll protect you."

James huffed. "Perlex Forest, ah? Do we have the provisions? After all, it just popped up about a month ago. We don't know what's in there."

"Oh, I know what's in there," Mia turned to look at James with a very serious look. "Or...I know what dangers are there."

"Really?" Monty gaped. "But it's unexplored territory! How did you know?"

Mia smiled. "Townspeople tell you anything with a bit of...persuasion. There's a rumour going around that anyone who enters the forest...never comes out."

Everyone gasped, tearing at their faces in horror.

"Some say," Mia continued, "that if you listen late at night, you can hear the anguished cries of the prisoners of the forest."

John looked up at the sky uncomfortably. "B-b-but the sun is setting! It'll be night soon!"

"Then we'd better get started," Monty said bravely. "C'mon, time's a-wastin'!"

* * *

_One hour prior to the death of the last human..._

"Captain Monty! I'm scared...hold me," Mary Sue ran close to Monty, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Mia looked around. "There's something fishy going on here...Guys, don't look at one thing too long. I think this place is cursed."

"C-c-cursed?" John stammered.

James frowned, slapping John on the back of the head. "Oh, stop being such a crybaby."

"I'm not a crybaby! _You're _a crybaby!" John yelled back.

"Why you-" James said through clenched teeth. "You take that _back!_"

"James! John!" Monty roared angrily. "Stop your petty arguing and focus on the mission!"

"Yes, Captain Monty," James and John said remorsefully.

Mary Sue fawned over Monty. "Oh, you're so brave, coming into a scary forest like this."

"Wow..." Mia said slowly, bending over to sniff a flower. "This flower smells so good..."

"Mia, no!" Monty yelled, reaching for her. "You're not supposed to look at anything for too-"

"It's too late," James said, crying. "She's gone."

Monty looked at Mia, passed out over the flower. "No..."

John looked around him warily. "I'm beginning to have second thoughts about coming in here..."

"You always had second thoughts about coming in here, coward!" James snickered.

"...are you talking to me?" A voice came from a bit away in the woods.

"Shh!" Monty hissed at John and James, who were still bickering. "Do you hear that?"

"You take that back, dolt!" John screamed, punching James upside the head.

James, after recovering, smirked through a bloody nose. "Fine, I think I _will!_" He socked John on the cheekbone._  
_

"John! James! Stand at attention!" Monty screamed at them, becoming frustrated.

They didn't listen. They just stopped saying words and just focused all their energy on killing each other. Monty became concerned. He began slowly approaching them. "...John?...James?"

John and James ignored him. They kept hitting each other harder and harder, not giving up, their words of anger becoming primal grunts.

"Captain Monty, what do we do?" Mary Sue asked dramatically, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead.

"I...I don't know..." Monty stuttered. This had never happened before. His characters never did this.

"It's soooooooo soooofffft..." The voice came back from farther down the path. After it finished, James and John both collapsed to the ground. Monty was horrified. He ran up to them, shaking them vigorously, trying to wake them from their eternal slumber.

"James! John! No! Wake up! Wake up, wake up!" Monty screamed. For the first time in all of his adventures, Monty was getting scared. His friends never died. They never killed each other! What was happening to them?

He stood up resolutely. "Come on, Mary Sue. Let's finish the map and get out of-"

Mary Sue was gone too.

_No._

"Do you..." Coughing came from down the path. The mysterious voice continued. "Do you think we'll become Skull Kids? You know, like the ones in Zelda?"

Monty's curiosity was piqued. Forgetting about his dead friends, he walked slowly down the path of the forest, brushing back large leaves. Following the late Mia's advice, he ignored any wonderment around him, focusing solely on the mission at hand.

"I don't know."

Monty parted a last pair and leaves, and saw two human children, a boy and a girl, falling asleep on the grassy floor in a clearing.

"Good night, Shari."

"Good night, Ben."

* * *

_The moment of the death of the last human..._

Monty giggled. He always liked the way humans spoke. Their language was so weird. He was almost sad they were dying off. His mom told him there was some virus going around that only targeted humans. And there were two of them, right there. Just sleeping. No stirring...no speaking...no imprisoning Pokémon...

No breathing.

Monty began to sense something was wrong. He slowly walked up to the human boy, passed out on the ground. Putting his hand on the boy's chest, Monty felt for a heartbeat. There was none.

_Is he dead? Is...is she dead? _Monty wondered, looking over at the little girl. _Are they siblings? Where are their parents? She isn't breathing either..._

Monty suddenly felt very sad, as if them dying was his fault. These two were special, for some reason. _What if they're the last humans ever?_ Suddenly, Monty didn't want to leave them. He sat with them, mourning their deaths because no Pokémon would. A lot of the Pokémon he grew up with were convinced humans were no better than slave drivers. Monty believed they were much more than that. But if these were the last humans, nobody would care that they were gone. So Monty sat there, on the grass, next to the two children, and gave thanks for their life. He gave thanks for his friends' lives, too, since they had also died.

After a long time, Monty got up. He gave one final glance to the two children, failing to notice the grass crawling up their bodies, and headed for home. _This forest...there's something wrong with it._

_Goodbye, humans._


	38. Resistance

**We're nearly done here...**

* * *

_**Chapter 32**_

_**Resistance**_

Coran sat on his bed, unable to get to sleep. What he had told Squirtle was a lot to take in. Maybe he wasn't as sympathetic as he should've been. Squirtle did seem really shocked, and Coran didn't blame her. Telling someone that the entire purpose of your whole world is pure entertainment isn't the easiest thing to take. _I should be glad she even believed me..._

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Coran said quietly.

Monty took the invitation and stepped inside. "Hello, Coran. Do you...do you know where Mew is?" he asked.

"No, sorry," Coran replied, shaking his head. "You came here looking for her?"

"Wrong, I came here to pay off the mortgage," Monty said, giving Coran a look.

Coran held up his arms. "Alright. I'm giving Squirtle some space right now, so I could help you look for her if you want."

"I would appreciate that, thanks," Monty nodded.

* * *

_I can't believe it...But...but I have to. It's the only explanation to all of Coran's problems..._Squirtle thought frantically. _But I'm not fake...I'm real...aren't I? What was it Coran said? "You're as real as I am"? What's that supposed to mean?...Well, I guess...it makes sense...That's the problem. It makes too much sense.__ It's the only solution that makes sense. Except..._

Squirtle gave a tentative look at Coran's results of the Sanity Test.

* * *

"Where do you think she could be?" Monty asked as he and Coran walked down the main street of Nuzlocke.

Coran looked up at Monty. "I'm not sure. She wouldn't be someone to go on a mission by herself, would she?"

"No, she's more into fun things. She's probably out socializing or something," Monty shrugged.

"Socializing?" Coran wondered. "I...actually don't think I've seen Mew talk to anyone but us out of her own volition."

"Really?" said Monty. "I hadn't noticed that. Strange, with her talk of 'doing fun stuff', you'd think she'd be the type to go out and talk to Pokémon. I suppose I could've had her pinned wrong."

"Actually, I'm beginning to have my doubts about Mew..." Coran mumbled.

Monty crossed his arms...or at least tried. "What makes you say that? Mew's a fine Pokémon, and she's helped us through a lot of tight spots!"

"Yes, but," Coran said, putting a paw to his chin, "how much do we actually know about Mew?"

"Excuse me, Monty?" a low voice came from a nearby shop. "I have overheard something I thought you might appreciate."

Monty turned and saw Marvin walking towards him. "You sound oddly helpful today."

Marvin stared at Monty with half-closed eyes. "I resent that. But since I'm feeling generous, I'll still tell you. Xerneas and Yveltal have been found. And apparently, one of them is the Voice. Pokémon are saying the world's ending."

* * *

_No. He can't be insane. Not after all this. But...it would explain..._

"Agh! I'm so confused!" Squirtle yelled in frustration.

Coran and Monty burst through the door in a panicked frenzy.

"Squirtle! Squirtle, we have news!" Coran cried.

"Big news!" Monty added.

"The biggest!"

"Such newsy news!"

Coran stopped and turned to Monty disapprovingly. "Not the time, Monty."

"Monty, what are you talking about? What's happening?" Squirtle's eyes connected with his. She was dazed and tired, exhausted from trying to decide whether Coran needed to be detained or not.

"Xerneas and Yveltal have been found. One of them's the Voice. Mew's missing. The world's ending. What _isn't_ happening?" Monty yelled.

Squirtle closed her eyes, putting a paw to her forehead. _It had to be now. Arceus, it had to be now._ "Alright. Let's get packing and go. Where are they?"

"Remember the volcano where Aldolpho was?" Coran asked.

"...Yes." Squirtle said slowly.

"The volcano's gone. The field's back. Except from the way they're fighting, it won't be a field for much longer."

Squirtle's senses jolted. "Wait, they're _fighting?_"

"From the looks of it, other Pokémon are fighting, too. A...a lot of other Pokémon," said Monty, looking out the south window.

"We need to stop them now! Before they destroy Nuzlocke!"

With that, Squirtle forgot about the problems concerning Coran, the problems with her world and the problems concerning the budget. All she was devoted to, all she could think about, is that this world is real enough for her, and it's about to be obliterated.

* * *

Cappy's village was in shambles. When the Pokémon residing found out about the fight between the legendary Pokémon, they all freaked out and bolted, some running away, some to try to stop their fatal bickering. Cappy was left alone in an empty village.

He sighed, and thought to himself, _The world's ending, is it? Well...if that's true...then I have to know. I have to go see her._

* * *

Phari sat in her living room, looking at the setting sun for what she believed to be the last time. A small tear formed in the corner of her eye at the thought of never seeing Coran again. Or...Cappy...

_No, Phari. He's gone. He's dead, probably at the bottom of the sea._

Phari had heard that morning that Xerneas and Yveltal were waging war against each other. The world as they knew it was ending. Was this the last time she'd see this house?

She stood up.

_I don't want it to be. I don't want to see Cappy just yet. I won't be able to die knowing I didn't do what I could to stop this...apocalypse._

* * *

Coran, eyes wide with fear, stared at the battleground of the legendary Pokémon.

Xerneas and Yveltal were certainly going at it, trading blow for blow, each of them roaring...something at each other. Coran couldn't understand them.

Other Pokémon were fighting, too. From the looks of it, most were just lashing out at whatever was closest to them. It was a massacre, and Coran, strangely, wanted in.

"Are you coming with me?" Coran asked, turning back to his friends.

"What!?" Monty exclaimed. "Are you insane?"

Squirtle looked down at the ground.

"At this point, does it really matter? I can't stand just...well, standing here, and doing nothing while our world is on the edge of collapse!"

"This isn't your world," Squirtle whispered to herself.

Coran looked straight at Squirtle. "But it's yours."

Then he ran off into the fray, aiming a Force Palm at Yveltal's head.

Monty looked at Squirtle, waiting to see what she would do. "What's your plan of action?"

Squirtle took a deep breath. "...Let's do it."

* * *

Phari gaped in horror at the brawl sprawling in front of her. _In all honestly, I can't say I didn't expect the end of the world to be any less...violent._

Closing her eyes, psyching herself up for what she was about to do, she took her position to dash into the fray.

"...Phari?" a quiet voice came from behind her. She knew it well. "...You're still alive..."

"No. Not now. The world is ending, and now is not the time to drag up memories."

"I'd say now's the perfect time. Since, well, there won't be any time left after this."

Phari turned around slowly, and witnessed the sad smile of Cappy, her dead husband.

"You...you aren't dead," Phari said quietly, holding Cappy close.

Cappy smiled, shaking his head. "No, Phari, I'm not. I'm as alive as you."

"I...I missed you...I missed you so much!" Phari burst into tears, throwing her arms around Cappy. Cappy returned the favor, holding her close.

They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity, two dead lovers brought back to life, ignoring the danger just adjacent to them, and enjoyed each other's company. Finally they pulled away from each other.

Phari looked back warily at the battle behind them. "With that battle going on, we might not have that much time together left..."

"What do you say we make the most of it, if you know what I mean?" Cappy said, smiling.

"I agree emphatically," Phari nodded, before seizing Cappy's hand, forcibly dragging him off into the fray.

"This isn't what I meant at all!"

* * *

Squirtle could not see anything. She was blindly slinging Swifts back and forth in the battlefield, not caring whom she hit as long as she could do something. She was being barrelled by attacks from all sides, and she tried to retaliate to each one, her feral mind telling her each attack was from an enemy that needed to be eliminated.

Monty was beside her, clearing paths of hostile Pokémon with powerful Leaf Tornadoes. He zeroed in on Xerneas, and tried to use a Giga Drain. He landed a direct hit, but Xerneas didn't even seem fazed. Monty was suddenly enveloped in a blinding white beam of light, sapping him of his energy. Dazed and hurt, he lay on the ground, wincing as Pokémon fought on top of him.

Coran was getting tired too. The facts of the battle began to fade in his mind; where he was, how long he had been fighting, how long he could keep it up. All he knew was that there was pain surrounding him, and the only way to end it was to win. Coran felt like he took a backseat inside his head, and let his body take over. Without his permission, he started throwing around moves he had never seen before; probably Copycat. He didn't know what he was doing, only that he was doing it.

_Is this what it's like to be controlled by the Voice?_

Coran gasped in sudden surprise and fear. _Am I controlled by the Voice?_

Coran stopped, stood still on the ground and surveyed his surroundings. _No. I'm fine. I'm not-_

He couldn't finish before feeling a powerful blow to the side of his head. Seeing stars, he blacked out.

* * *

"It's...It's over," Squirtle breathed.

The battlefield was a bloodbath. Xerneas and Yveltal were both on the ground, unmoving. It was obvious the Voice had seized some Pokémon judging by the corpses lining the once green grass. Squirtle wanted to cry from the carnage surrounding her. But no tears came. Only pain. She collapsed onto her back, finally realizing how tired she was.

How tired everyone was.

After catching her breath, she finally sat up. _Where are Monty and Coran and...Mew?_

She looked around, seeing some Pokémon get up sleepily, unable to move much from the borderline murderous battle they had taken part in. Coran and Monty were both rubbing their heads in pain, but they were alive.

"Hey, Squirtle!" a cheery voice came from behind her. "What'd I miss? I swear, as soon as I go for a minute, you do all the cool stuff without me!"

"Mew?!" Coran said incredulously from the other side of the battlefield.

"C-Coran?" Shuppet came from beside him.

"Shuppet? You're here too?" Monty asked, shock extremely evident in his voice.

There was a raspy laugh beside him. "Who isn't, huh?" Banette chuckled.

"What's goin' on, guys?" Mew asked, crunching on a berry.

"You...you missed the battle to end all battles. One of those Pokémon there is the one projecting the Voice, since...all Voice activity stopped," Squirtle said, looking around her.

Mew put her paw to her chin. "You want me to scan Xerneas and Yveltal? I don't think that's necessary."

"It'd be good just to make sure, don't you think?" Squirtle asked.

"No," Mew shook her head. "You're wrong. Neither of them is the culprit."

"H-how can you say that so surely?" Monty stared at Mew suspiciously.

"I'm the Voice."

Coran's mouth dropped open, along with everyone else conscious and present. "W...what?"

"I'm the Voice. I'm kind of surprised you hadn't figured it out till now."

* * *

**Ah ha ha ha ha ha...**


	39. Skyfall

**Multikirby is gone, in case you haven't figured it out yet. I am the new author. For now, at least.**

* * *

**_Chapter 33_**

**_Skyfall_**

Coran stared at Mew in a mixture of anger, confusion, shock, betrayal and sadness. "You're...you're the Voice? Why?"

"Well, I'll tell you in a bit, but first, to make sure there's no resistance, Earthquake!" Mew raised her hands and cheered.

The ground tremored violently beneath the tired bodies of the Pokémon present. Cries of pain rang out through the whole battlefield, with some stopping abrubtly. Coran couldn't take it; he pressed his paws to his ears to shut out the wails of agony. Finally, the shaking stopped, and Coran was too drained to move a muscle.

"Alright, there we go. Can anybody move? Anyone at all? No? 'Kay, good. Thanks for that TM, by the way, Monty!" Mew said, blowing the bloodied Servine a kiss.

Monty stared at Mew, hurt glistening in his eyes.

"Okay, Coran, to answer your question, yes. I am the Voice. I said that twice already. As for why...well, I hate humans," Mew stated simply.

Everyone stared at her in confusion.

Mew sighed, rolling her eyes. "I guess that was a little vague, sorry. Let me start again. I hate humans. A lot. And so, a few months ago I made a virus that targets humans and kills them. Do you know how hard that is? Making a plague that only kills humans? It's hard! Mankey DNA is really close to it. I managed to get away with Mankeys only being sick for a few days.

"But then I saw something that really made me angry. I planned on killing humans because of their greedy nature. But then, in the final days of the plague, I found that Pokémon were starting to adapt human mannerisms. Like taking things that aren't theirs and setting up shop, selling them for _money_, something we had never had before," Mew narrowed her eyes, staring at Banette and Shuppet, who suddenly looked a lot more uncomfortable.

"Or something even more disgusting; the Exploration Team Federation. There was an entire _federation_ dedicated to charging for help. They will not help you unless you offer something in return. It is one of their rules. I was so...so angry! I hated rescue teams! They were put in such a positive light, but they refuse to help unless you offer them money, or items, or _slavery!_"

Squirtle looked away from Mew, realizing she was talking about her.

Mew smirked. "I think you see where I'm coming from, huh, Squirtle? All that talk about meeting the budget...that just proved my point. Pokémon were turning into humans. And so...they had to die, too. It's a little sad, yes. But I'm Mew! The Pokémon with the DNA of all Pokémon in her! I can make a whole new world where nobody is greedy, or mean, or human."

"M-Mew...not all humans are bad...I swear!" Coran called up to her, coughing from the pain inside his chest.

Mew turned to look at him with eyes of fire. "Oh? And I assume you're talking about yourself, Mr. Coran Viziden?"

There was a collective gasp around the battlefield, followed by nervous murmuring. Coran looked about wildly, becoming paranoid from the murmuring.

"Humans. They're so greedy, selfish, concieted. They think that they're so great, that they're the only ones that matter. They come into a new area with complete disregard with whoever's already there, _including other humans_, they take over, and expand, expand, expand! They deplete all their natural resources, then blame their community-made, community-voted government for their problems. Their solution? Go somewhere else and deplete _those _natural resources! What a sound plan! The area fifty miles from here has unlimited resources! They'll never run out! What happens ten years later? RRGH!" Mew fumed. She was getting really angry now. "And do they think about what these resources do? They sustain life. All life. Not just theirs. And so when all the trees are cut down to make room for a karaoke club, habitats are destroyed. And then there's Pokémon that they hunt to extinction! Some think they're heroes for making sanctuaries where they keep the last remaining Pokémon in captivity. Oh, and maybe other humans can _pay_ to get in and see them! It's not heroism! It's greed!"

Coran was getting really scared now. "I...I don't..."

"So...Coran," Mew said quietly, suddenly calm. "Tell me, what makes you different? What makes you unselfish? Unconceited? Un...ungreedy?"

Coran thought for a moment. "I...I don't know how to answer that question...but-"

"Oh, so I'll answer it for you. First of all, let's get this out of the way right now. Pokémon present before me today," Mew announced with mock formality. "This Riolu before you is a human in disguise!"

Screams echoed out from the battlefield. Suddenly Coran felt a lot more alone. Eyes were staring at him. Monty's. Shuppet's. Phari's. Marvin's. All of them were boring into him. He tried to look for Squirtle, but when he found her, he was denied any support. She was still recoiling from Mew destroying the integrity of her childhood dream.

"I'll prove it to you later, but for now...This human believes that we are not real! He thinks we're just entertainment!"

Coran stood up shakily. "That's not true! I-"

"I heard you Coran. I heard everything. You're a human. You think we aren't real. You're the only real one here. If that isn't conceited, I don't know what is. That's another thing. Humans have closed minds. If they hear about something they can't explain, they believe it to be fantasy. Not real. Fake! Because if humans can't explain it, it obviously can't exist, since humans are the be all end all. It makes me sick."

Coran's throat bunched up painfully as tears started welling up in his eyes. "I...I don't..."

"Well, we can't have any of that in our...I mean...my new world, can I? So yeah, I'm going to have to kill you. But before I do that, there's more."

Coran stiffened.

"On the day of the death of the final human, the last remaining family was hunkering down in a cabin. A family of four. A mother, a father, a boy and a girl. The parents and the girl were very, very sick, if you know what I mean. The parents made a last ditch effort; they sent their children to Perlex Forest, where they believed a cure lied," Mew started, turning her head slowly to look at Shuppet and Banette, who were starting to back away slowly.

"And that darn late Celebi...Those kids didn't die of the virus. They died from the forest's charms. So they could regenerate as Pokémon. When I found out...Well, Celebi isn't with us anymore. So...what do you have to say to that, Shuppet and Banette? Or...should I say...Shari and Ben Cherish?"

_They're...they're human? Shuppet's human?_

"Yes, they're human too. Although, you shouldn't be too surprised. As I said, they chose to practice one of the most human practices out there; taking things free and selling them. Those berries? Seeds? Orbs? They weren't yours. Any Pokémon could've found them, until you stole them and charged for them on your shelves. So, you'll be next."

Coran stared at Shari across the way, who was looking at Mew with so much fear it was a wonder she hadn't fainted yet.

"But wait! There's more! Another example of a human practice; love and hope. A while ago, there were two Pokémon, living happily with each other in _love._ Then one of them went missing. If this happened to a normal Pokémon, they wouldn't have cared. After all, the point of mating is reproducing. Nothing else. But these two...they were in love. And so they hoped and hoped for years and years, causing themselves unnecessary sadness, waiting for the other to come back. Love is cruel. Hope is cruel. Cappy, Phari, you know what I'm talking about, right?"

Cappy clutched a sobbing Phari closer to him, staring up defiantly at the deranged legendary. "You're insane!"

"Pokémon shouldn't have feelings of love. That love has haunted both of you for so many years. You would have been much happier on average if there was no love, as it should be. Love is human."

"B-but...he's given me so much...I could not be happier without him!" Phari yelled, wiping tears from her eyes.

Mew crossed her arms. "Exactly my point. If he's not with you, you're sad. That's love. So you two have to die. Actually, to be safe, everyone here has to die. But..." she laughed. "I'm sorry for stalling, but there's one more example that really stood out to me.

"Tolerance. This sounds so positive, right? Tolerating others?" Mew asked, waiting for a response.

There was a quiet agreement among the battlefield, unsure of where this was going.

"It's not. Tolerance means that if you're imperfect, it's fine. It's not your fault. We can work around that. But then you're forced to watch as they mess up more and more, and you keep telling him that it's fine. But it isn't. You should not tolerate anything less than what is required. And...however much it pains me to say this, Monty. That story you told me yesterday. About you playing in the woods. You not only tolerated humans, you idolized them. So...You have to die too. And it really, really pains me to say that. Not only did you seal your fate to die with that story, but you also...sealed theirs," Mew finished, pointing at Ben and Shari.

Everyone on the battlefield was dead silent. Squirtle got up slowly from the ground. Her eyes connected with Mew's. "P-please...don't do this...Coran's innocent. Everyone's innocent-"

Mew started laughing raucously. "Everyone's innocent?! That's hilarious! Nobody's innocent! I was going to listen, but that last statement destroyed any chance of _that_ happening. Okay, Coran, brace yourself," Mew turned to the terrified Riolu, who decided now would be a good time to get up and run for his life.

A terrible energy pierced his heart, knocking him to the ground with a terrible crash. He heard a scream, but he couldn't understand what it was saying. Putting his hands on the ground to steady himself, he started to pull himself

_Hands?_

Coran scrambled to his feet, looking at himself. He was clothed. He had skin. Arms. Legs. Feet. He was human.

It felt so unnatural. A roar of noise came from all around him, as Pokémon screamed at him. He tried to understand, but he couldn't. It was just words. No meaning.

"I can't hear you! I can't understand! What are you saying?!" he cried, tears flowing from his eyes as his friendships with the Pokémon were effectively severed. "Squirtle!? Monty?! Phari!? Where are you? What's happening?"

All around him were his coworkers. Friends. Were they? They were shouting at him. What were they shouting? He just heard names. Noise. Slumping down onto the worn ground, his head sunk into his hands, and he wept.

* * *

The Pokémon were silent for only a moment, then chaos erupted all over the battlefield.

"Coran's actually a human?!" Monty yelled.

Phari clutched Cappy. "Is that...is that him? Where did he go?"

"I think that is him," Cappy said quietly.

Shari and Ben exchanged glances. "He was...he wasn't a Pokémon," Shari said quietly.

"See? Told you so!" Mew gloated.

Squirtle dashed up to Coran, but kept her distance. She didn't know how he would act now that he was a selfish, concieted human...

_Why would he act any different? He's...he's still Coran, _She thought. Nonetheless, her feet refused to go any closer to Coran, who was now weeping into his hands. _C'mon! Go comfort him!_

"So, Squirtle? What are you waiting for? Go to him. He needs support, you know. Having a form you've adopted for half a year ripped away from you has got to be a pretty harrowing experience, don't ya think?" Mew asked, smirking. "He's waiting for you."

Squirtle gave another uneasy look at the human. He looked so...unnatural. He had...he had clothes on. He had long spindly arms. _But he's still Coran! He's still Coran! He's still Coran!__  
_

Squirtle squinted her eyes shut, shutting out the mocking scorn of Mew, and the murmurs of the Pokémon near her. "He...he can't understand me, can he?"

Mew shook her head. "Wouldn't that be something? But no, he's completely oblivious to what any of us are saying."

Squirtle's heart dropped. _How much pain is he going through? Hearing us talk, but hearing nothing but...whatever he's hearing...That's it._

Opening her eyes, she ran towards the human - _No. Not the human. Coran._ - Coran, and pressed up against him. She knew saying anything would just make it worse, so when his head lifted, she just looked up at him and smiled sadly.

Mew was speechless. Or disgusted. "Well, it won't make any difference."

Monty stood up slowly, his legs still shaking from the trauma they had recieved not fifteen minutes earlier. He began making his way to Coran. "It's...it's not fair to assume he's any different now."

Shari and Ben were next. The looked at each other and nodded, and started walking towards him.

Slowly, Pokémon after Pokémon made their way to Coran, who's sobs were starting to die out as he realized what they were trying to tell him.

They still trusted him.

Mew crossed her arms in frustration. "Agh...fine. You want to play heartwrenching? Let's get heartwrenching."

As each Pokémon gathered around Coran in a ring, watching him with emotions varying from pity to sadness to bittersweet happiness. But what mattered to Mew was that they still gave her just enough space. She flew into the middle of the ring the Pokémon had formed.

"Alright. Sorry to break this up, but he needs to die. Any physical objections? If anyone wants to try to stop me, you're welcome to try."

And some did try. Weak projectile attacks came floating up to Mew's position, but she easily dodged them. The Earthquake and the battle did exactly what she wanted; removed any chance of resistance. She looked over her shoulder to check if Xerneas and Yveltal were still out.

They were. She'd get rid of them later.

Looking back at Coran, she talked directly to him through telepathy.

"You understand what I'm going to do now, right?"

Coran looked up at her with hatred she had never seen before. "You're going to kill me."

Mew brought a purple, sharp glowing rock from the ground. "At least you humans are smart."

Coran defiantly stared at Mew for a few moments. If he so much as moved his head, pain sparked throughout his whole body. He couldn't move, let alone fight. He broke the stare, and looked down at his friends, ignoring the pain.

"You aren't going to try to run away?" Mew asked with mock surprise.

Coran lifted his head back slowly to meet her gaze. "You know exactly why that's not possible."

He sighed in defeat. "Is it going to be quick, Mew?"

"Yes, Coran. It'll be quick."

Coran's eyes glistened. "I'm sorry, guys. I'm sorry I let you down."

"You know, Coran, I feel like I should tell you this. You're amazing. I truly mean that," Mew said, smiling genuinely.

"W-what?"

"The Voice was a means to kill Pokémon efficiently. If the influence of the Voice stops, you're supposed to die. End of story. When I slapped you as a Chansey in Faren Heights, I expected you to drop dead. But you didn't. You made a full recovery. I don't know if it's because you're a human or not, but...you're impressive, Coran. You might want to distract yourself...what was that song you were singing right before I froze you? It went like...um...Oh! _This is the end...close your eyes and count to ten..._" Mew sang softly.

Coran, beginning to sob again, closed his eyes. "_F-Feel the earth move, and then...hear my heart-_"

A bright flash of pain erupted in Coran's chest, followed by numbness. The edges of his vision blurred, before turning white.

Coran Viziden was dead.

* * *

The ground was so cold...and white...and dry. It was like nothing he had ever felt before...

_Is this...is this heaven?_ Coran thought, looking around.

"No...no, you can't be...he _killed _you!? No! No, no, no!" A voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw a boy.

He was about his age. Fifteen, or sixteen. He was a frail kid, and he didn't look very strong. He was looking at Coran with wide eyes of terror, shaking his head in denial.

"No...You're dead? You can't be dead!" he said softly to himself, before collapsing to his knees on the...ground.

Was there a ground? Everything he saw around him was white. He couldn't tell where the ground stopped and the sky began.

"What's going on here?"

The kid looked up. "I'm...I'm so sorry. This is my fault."

"Who are you?"

"My...my name is Multikirby. I brought you to where you were. I put you through a lot of what you just experienced. And...I killed you."

"W-What? I'm dead?"

"Y...Yes. You're dead. We're dead. I'm...I'm so...so...sorry."

* * *

**_Epilogue_**

"CORAN!" Squirtle screamed as she witnessed the boulder pierce his heart. "NO!"

Silence reigned on the bloody battlefield as all eyes were glued to Coran as his life force left him. As Mew retracted the rock from his chest, Coran slumped to the floor, dead.

"No! No, no, no, no! Please! Wake up!" Squirtle screamed. "Wake up! Do you need a berry? I have berries! Monty, give me a berry, quick! Wh...why...why aren't any of you MOVING?!We need to wake him up!"

Monty stepped forward and put a leaf on Squirtle's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Squirtle. He's gone. There's nothing we can do."

"NO! There has to be something! Don't we have Oran Berries! Sitrus Berries! Reviver Seeds! Anything!" Squirtle cried as tears started flowing from her eyes.

"Reviver Seeds...only work when you're fainted..." Shari said quietly. "We both know that. He's...he's dead, Squirtle."

Phari walked forward to Coran's corpse. "She...she killed him...You killed Coran!" she yelled, looking at Mew.

"Mm...what? What's with all the dirty looks? It's not like I'm going to treat any of you any differently. But...just so none of you will leave...Psychic barrier!" Mew raised her hands up, making a glowing pink dome surrounding the battlefield.

"You...you...you...monster..." Squirtle said, seething.

"Well, anyways," Mew yawned, ignoring Squirlte's statement. "Ben and Shari are next. I need to get rid of actual humans first. So if you could...wait, what?...Oh, hi. Yeah, I killed him, like you asked me to. Hold on...You said I could-! Aagh...fine. I'll have them over."

Everyone looked strangely at Mew, who had seemingly been talking to the air. "Change of plans, guys. You're coming with me. As for the rest of you...well, you're doomed anyways. Ciao!"

And with that, Mew disappeared with Ben, Shari, Monty and Squirtle being teleported with her.

The ones left behind looked at the smoking rings where they once stood. "They're gone!" Cappy exclaimed.

* * *

**So...'No Pokéballs Allowed' is done. As I have already told you, I am not Multikirby. As for who I really am...you'll find out soon enough, one way or another...Hmm hmm hmm...Ahahahahaha...**

* * *

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


End file.
